Media

David Emin, mediaweek.co.uk, 30 June 2009, 11:04am

Is bossnapping a viable solution?

Q The top boss in our company is becoming really un-user friendly and is not taking any of our requests seriously. We know times are hard and we must cut costs throughout the company. However, most of the perks we used to enjoy have been taken away. Until recently, we haven't complained as we thought this affected everyone.

David Emin is director of advertising at Mirror Group Newspapers

However, we discovered that while we have lost all those little things that help make the lack of pay rises, bonuses and so on a little more palatable, our boss is still enjoying all the things he has asked us to give up. When we have tried to speak to him about this, he has been most offhand and has not even given us the time of day. One of my friends has suggested we should consider approaching this the "French" way and bossnap him in order to get him to give in to our demands. Do you think this is a viable idea?

A I used to be all in favour of bossnapping, until I realised that this wasn't a 45-minute power snooze that ad directors are allowed to take after a boozy lunch, but rather a situation where employees take their boss hostage in order to protest about cutbacks.

As ludicrous as this might sound, during the past 12 months there have been almost as many incidents of bossnapping in France as there have been reported cases of swine flu in Paris.

Companies such as Sony, Caterpillar, 3M and Hewlett Packard have all reported cases of bossnapping. Sony's chief executive and HR director were held overnight by staff and only released when they agreed to renegotiate redundancy pay.

At the 3M pharmaceutical plant, the company's director of operations was held for two days and two nights by workers trying to force him to improve their redundancy terms.

Although bossnapping is illegal, it is surprising how accepted this practice is among the French. To be fair, the action is usually non-aggressive and hostages are well treated and fed and watered throughout the time they are held.

Even more surprising is the fact that the French police accept that these tactics are now a normal part of negotiations and rarely intervene.

While bossnapping may well spread to the UK, my advice to you is that it's best not to be the first to try it. Let's face it, unless you are on a sales conference, would you really want to spend two nights cooped up with your boss in his office?

The likelihood is that he has probably given up some of his perks. If he hasn't and this is still winding you up, try blackmail before you progress to kidnapping.