Dive Brief:

• A pair of Air France-KLM senior executives, including an assistant HR manager, literally lost their shirts to angry union workers yesterday after the company announced 2,900 layoffs.
• According to a report at The Telegraph, Xavier Broseta, the HR manager, became stuck inside a group of hundreds of unhappy employees who had crashed a meeting of the company's Central Committee (CCE) in Roissy-en-France. According to the article, employees shouted: "A poil, à poil" (off with his clothes, off with his clothes). Security staff rescued the shirtless HR manager, but not until he climbed over a fence, according to photos.
• The Telegraph reported that for Air France, it will be the first forced dismissals since the 1990s after failing to reach a deal with pilots. The company had asked pilots to work longer hours for the same pay to help reduce annual losses that began four years ago, but that offer was rejected.

Dive Insight:

This story clearly outlines how culture can make a difference in the business world and for HR professionals in particular, as it's hard to believe that American workers would attack an HR manager after an employer announced a round of layoffs. Of course, French taxi drivers also physically attacked and firebombed Uber drivers and passengers in Paris this past summer.

For its part, Air France will ask for formal aggravated assault charges against the furious employees. “These attacks were made by isolated and particularly violent individuals as the demonstration by personnel on strike was going on calmly,” Air France said in a statement.

The message for U.S. HR pros? If you receive a job offer to work as an expatriate in France, this story might give you pause - even considering the fine food, wine and culture.