Design Crafters

Today’s world is all too familiar with layoffs from jobs, but a recent cause of a layoff might be the first of its kind.  A town crier in a small town in Great Britain recently lost his job with the town when he appeared on the front of a political party’s Christmas card.

It might initially seem like a silly reason for someone to lose a job, but listen to the whole story first.  Because the job of town crier is intended to be a non-political one, his appearance on the front of the local party’s Christmas card was thought by some to be in violation of his politically neutral job.  Following multiple complaints from constituents, an internal investigation into the controversial Christmas card looked into whether or not the card counted as having been for ‘party political purposes at the taxpayers’ expense.’  It was later determined that the Christmas card – and the town crier’s appearance on it – did in fact may have qualified as “party political literature,” and some time after that, the town crier was relieved of his duties.

Some members of the small town’s council are working to reinstate the former town crier in his job, to the point that they have not yet posted the open job listing anywhere.  But however this situation ends up being resolved, one things seems for certain:  town criers all over the world will surely be careful about appearing on Christmas cards in the future!