Employee wins $13.8k cash at company event

For employees of local crane company Pollisum, the annual Dinner & Dance (D&D) on Oct 4 came with some extraordinary surprises, from thousands of dollars in cash prizes to an emotional family reunion.

Instead of a typical lucky draw, the company organised a mass cash-grabbing game for its 400 employees, with up to $150,000 in cash up for grabs.

But for one employee, the biggest surprise was something even more valuable — a reunion with family members he had not seen in years.

Mechanic from India reunited with family after 4 years

While most eyes were locked on the cash prizes, Russel Jagathesh, 47, had no idea what was in store for him, even after he was invited on stage.

Anticipation turned into joy when his wife and children, whom he had not seen in more than four years, suddenly appeared.

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They rushed towards him, and the family embraced as Jagathesh kissed his wife on stage.

Jagathesh, a mechanic from India who has been working at Pollisum for 14 years, said: “When I saw my wife and children walking onto the stage, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Being away from my family is one of the hardest parts of working overseas, and there are many moments together that I miss.

“Having them here, even for a few days, meant more to me than any cash prize. It was a moment I will never forget.”

The company had secretly flown his wife and two children from Trivandrum, Kerala, to Singapore, sponsoring their flights accommodation and expenses for a four-day, three-night stay.

Employee wins $13.8k cash at company event — Russel and his family with the Pollisum management team.

PHOTO COURTESY OF POLLISUM

Jagathesh was also given four days off work to spend time with his family, who additionally received a $500 allowance to spend in Singapore.

He took his wife and children to visit the Merlion, Singapore Oceanarium and Singapore Zoo, making for a memorable trip together.

Two employees bring home more than $10k in cash each

For other employees at the D&D, the biggest prizes came in the form of cash rewards.

Lucky first-prize winner Lee Kar Yoong, 34, walked away with $13,810 after successfully completing a money-counting challenge within 60 seconds.

The Malaysian, a senior operations specialist who has worked at Pollisum for five years, had to grab and accurately count $10 banknotes before the timer ran out.

The money means a lot to Lee, who has been saving towards an HDB flat for three years, since obtaining his Singapore permanent residency (PR).

He hopes to settle down in Singapore with his wife and start a family.

“I never imagined that attending our company’s annual dinner would bring me one step closer to owning a home,” said Lee. “I’ve been saving towards an HDB flat, so winning this amount is a huge help.”

He noted that everyone, regardless of their position in the company, had a chance to walk away with something, which he was grateful for.

This gratitude was echoed by operations associate Winnie Chang, 21, who won the second prize of $12,400.

One of six siblings, Chang moved from Sarawak to Singapore at just 18 to work and support her family, including her older brother, who has Down Syndrome. Before joining Pollisum two years ago, she worked at a bubble tea shop.

“When I heard my name announced, I was completely stunned,” she said. “For me, this is a significant amount of money that can make a real difference to my family’s finances.”

Her sister, who also joined Pollisum this year, was at the event. The sisters were moved to tears when they watched a video message from their family back home.

Besides the two top prize winners, six other participants received $1,200 each.

In addition, 30 per cent of attendees received between $300 and $500 each, while the remaining attendees received $188 ang baos.

Speaking to Stomp, CEO Chris Ang said the company wanted to recognise the contributions of all its employees.

“Behind every project we complete are the people who make it possible, from our mechanics and the operations teams to our administrative staff.

“We wanted to ensure that appreciation wasn’t limited to a select few, which is why every employee received a cash reward and had an opportunity to win more.”