Sacrebleu! Where's my Severance?

Image via CrunchBase

Severance Held for Ransom

So, you don't like the way things are going at the office? What are your options?

You could:

A. Have a discussion with your supervisor
B. Look for new employment
C. Pray for an early retirement offer
D. Contact a semi-competent attorney who will write a letter hoping for a quick settlement

or you could do as they do in France. Take your CEO and HR Director hostage. No details on whether they were forced to drink wine or eat cheese during their captivity.

The Voice of America reports that disgruntled workers at a Sony plant somewhere in the south of France took a pair of executives hostage in a dispute over severance pay.

Executive Hostage Freed by French


Workers at a Sony plant in southwestern France have freed two of the company's top executives after holding them overnight in a dispute over severance pay.

Serge Foucher leaves Sony factory in Pontonx-sur-l'Adour after workers held him hostage overnight, 13 Mar 2009

Sony France chief executive Serge Foucher emerged from the plant Friday with his human resources director, Roland Bentz. Workers released the men after the two sides agreed to restart talks on the severance package.

They had prevented the managers from leaving since Thursday, blocking the entrance to the plant with tree trunks.

Foucher had gone to talk with the employees ahead of the Sony plant's scheduled closing April 17.

The factory's 311 workers say they are unhappy with the way the Japanese technology giant is treating them.

France, like many other countries around the world, has been hit by a wave of factory closures and mass layoffs because of the global economic crisis.

Dude, where's my Walkman?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sacked workers hold boss hostage (guardian.co.uk)
• Sony France CEO captured by workers, released upon capitulation (crunchgear.com)
• Nation's Pension Plans Have $217 Billion Shortfall (crooksandliars.com)