Oops! CNN+ accidentally sends welcome baskets to sacked employees

To be laid off because your company is shutting down is a bitter pill to swallow, but if you are sent a welcome basket from that very company within a week after being left jobless by them, then it sounds like a cruel joke.

Unfortunately, for over hundreds of staffers at CNN+ – a streaming service- that shut down abruptly even before it could take off fully, it was a reality they had to face.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, CNN’’s new owner, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shut down the streaming service on April 21 leaving many of its staff to fend for themselves. While some of them were given internal roles in the company, those who couldn’t be provided with any alternative position were laid-off with six month worth of severance, so long as they do not leave the company within 90 days.


According to the Wall Street Journal report, “A week after being laid off, several staffers received packages from CNN.” These boxes included many network-branded merchandise, from pens to food containers. They also received items like popcorn maker and headphones.

Some of these baskets came along with welcome notes. “This is an incredible time to be part of CNN … Build relationships and take time to connect with colleagues and learn so that you make the most of your time here,” said one of the notes.

CNN says that these badly timed baskets were sent mistakenly. However, for the staff members who had joined with a lot of hope, and now look at a future of uncertainty, this mistake may feel like a cruel punch.