It's not always that simple. Making several thousand payments totalling as much as $100m is not "clicking a button". The process of making those transfers could be days or even weeks long. Payroll processes and the actual transacting involved typically take at least a few days.

I clicked that "Pay Now" button in my business. Nothing really that complex there, once the amounts are calculated (usually by automated programs). The rest is just regular ACH transfers, which take 2 business days to clear.

> process of making those transfers could be days or even weeks long

Every payroll processor worth their salt has a big red abort button. Worst case: funds hit flagged and are then reversed.

Screw that. If the recipient of the bonus is CXO level or higher, I’d say the government has a duty to claw back this money.

For that I would agree! They're directly responsible for this mess.

However almost every bonus is not a CXO bonus, and I think clawing those back would be the wrong decision, and could be quite harmful to many.

Why?

No reason at all, obviously after bankruptcy is declared contractual obligations to pay mean nothing until the courts decide on what they mean ... which is never 100%.