U.S. firm surprises employees with $10 million in bonusesDecember 11, 2019 - 10:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - When a Maryland real estate company handed out red envelopes to employees during the annual holiday party, no one knew what to expect. So when the 198 employees of St. John Properties received surprise bonuses averaging $50,000, it was a holiday miracle most didn't see coming. All the bonuses totaled around $10 million. "When I opened the envelope, I was in total disbelief," Stephanie Ridgway, an assistant project manager at the company, told CNN. "I couldn't believe I saw what I saw. I don't even have words to properly describe how I felt, it was just amazing and incredible. I'm still in shock. It's definitely life changing." St. John Properties President Lawrence Maykrantz told CNN the company had reached a major goal of developing 20 million square feet in real estate, doubling the amount in 14 years. "We wanted to do something to thank all our employees for helping us achieve our goal, and we wanted to do something big," Maykrantz told CNN. Each employee received money based on the amount of years they have been working at the company. The smallest amount, $100, was for an employee who was just hired and hadn't even started at the company yet. The largest bonus was $270,000. "It was truly one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed in my life. Everyone was all overwhelmed with emotions. They were screaming, crying, laughing, hugging," Maykrantz said. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |