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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: 2) by VLM on Wednesday September 18 2019, @11:54AM
HR is there for the company not you... it wasn't to get you unemployment, but "F... he's pissed off and during the denial of UE benefits process all this internal bad stuff which I also know is true will go public and its cheaper to buy his silence (aside from posting on SN)"
Of course UE varies by state and country. Although not unusual for companies to purchase silence this way.
I worked for one place that reorganized and they gave me almost a years severance with a non-disparagement clause. Ironically I had nothing to complain about; so they cancelled some product I worked on at a place I liked working at, what do I care other than I like great big piles of cash when I started working three weeks later for someone else? Just saying you should have pushed for a non-disparagement clause in a severance contract... There are very few things I miss about W-2 employment and delicious severance contracts are one. I've never heard of a 1099 contractor getting sweet severance like that. 'Hey HR lady, given what both you and I know, where's my severance contract with a non-disparagement clause?"