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https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/13/new-zealand-man-copywriter-clown-redundancy
An Auckland advertising copywriter brought a clown to his redundancy meeting, as first reported in the New Zealand Herald on Friday. New Zealand legally requires employers to allow workers the option of bringing a support person to serious disciplinary meetings, usually relating to an employee's prospective dismissal.
After FCB New Zealand lost a significant client and began layoffs, Josh Thompson, who had reportedly been with the company for five months, received an ominous email from his bosses that read: "Bad news. We're having a meeting to discuss your role."
Faced with the task of securing an appropriate support person for the potentially tense meeting, Thompson, a comedian who performs under the name Joshua Jack, said: "I thought it's best to bring in a professional, and so I paid $200 and hired a clown."
The clown, who Thompson refers to as "Joe", crafted balloon animals throughout the meeting, including a poodle. His antics were squeaky, and Thompson's bosses had to request he quieten down several times.
"It's further understood," reported the Herald, "that the clown mimed crying when the redundancy paperwork was handed over."
(Score: 3, Touché) by BsAtHome on Tuesday September 17 2019, @07:50PM (3 children)
I can only congratulate and take my hat off. This is good humor and great style on the employee's part. Such creative mind should be able to find a job in the creative market (i.e. any branch not hiring slaves, which is probably more and more rare). Let the stiffs be stiff and move on.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday September 17 2019, @10:58PM
It's advertising. Everyone involved is an arsehole.*
Source: Dealt with FCB (when they were called Foote, Cone, and Belding), and all the other ad agencies in Auckland during the 1990's.
The best thing I ever heard during that time was when my boss (6' 10") loomed over one of the Saatchi arseholes and told him "You're a cunt, and if you don't get out of my office I will break your jaw". Good times.
* Not everyone, obviously. Just most of them.
(Score: 2) by Luke on Wednesday September 18 2019, @04:08AM (1 child)
So how would you see it then if the employer were to bring a clown to the meeting?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 18 2019, @11:35AM
Sometimes, the employer is the clown.