id  | employment_date | name
-------------------------------
23  | 1980-01-11      | peter
21  | 1980-09-02      | sandra
34  | 1982-04-12      | steven
4   | 1982-06-14      | claudia
45  | 1983-10-12      | chuck
56  | 1984-03-16      | bob
1   | 1987-03-23      | kevin

(
SELECT id,@basedate:=employment_date AS employment_date,name
FROM employees WHERE name='claudia'
)
UNION
(
SELECT * FROM employees
ORDER BY if (employment_date>@basedate,employment_date,'9999-12-31') ASC
LIMIT 2
)
UNION
(
SELECT * FROM employees
ORDER BY if (employment_date<@basedate,employment_date,'0001-01-01') DESC
LIMIT 2
)
ORDER BY employment_date ASC