noun
financial reward for efforts; compensation for work
General term for monetary reward given in recognition of someone's labor or contribution, not limited to legal contexts.
ボランティアには報労金が支払われた。
A financial reward was paid to the volunteers.
noun
finder's fee; reward for returning lost property
Legal term under Japan's Lost Property Act: remuneration paid by the owner to the finder of a lost item, typically 5–20% of the item's value.
落とし物を届けたら、持ち主から報労金を受け取った。
After turning in the lost item, I received a finder's fee from the owner.
報酬 is a broader term for remuneration or compensation for services; 報労金 specifically emphasizes reward for effort or, in legal contexts, for finding lost property.
Compound of 報 (reward, recompense), 労 (labor, effort), and 金 (money). The term is relatively modern and used in formal and legal contexts.