| Title | Sad Face: New Zealander Takes Clown to Redundancy Meeting | |
| Date | Tuesday September 17 2019, @07:07PM | |
| Author | janrinok | |
| Topic | ||
| from the still-smiling dept. | ||
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."
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printed from SoylentNews, Sad Face: New Zealander Takes Clown to Redundancy Meeting on 2024-05-01 19:12:46