Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

I'm just here for the LOLz

I am a certified Verdukian; exempt from any of this..Happy Merlinpeen!

I had a colleague submit an anonymous ethics report to Cisco because a coworker said that "unvaccinated people should just die already" and the report was deleted. It really shows the companies current values.

The online form for an exemption looks to be simply a few lines to fill out and an accommodation drop box for medical, religious or approval for on-us vaccine. Is that it? No having to explain why an exemption is being requested?

What does this actually mean?
"Employees who are not vaccinated or have an approved accommodation will be placed on a leave of absence – with pay through January 8, 2022, and unpaid after that"
So if you have an exemption, you're being placed on a leave of absence anyway?

@nlc: Got exemption, won't say which one. Relatively simple, almos "rubber stamp". Not sure if they will tighten up in future.

Wow. I’m vaccinated, but refuse to enter vax details in Workday. Please fire me.

I like that Fran sent this email at 8:23pm instead of bringing it up on a check-In. What a cowardly sheep.

I’m not vaccinated, and I have deeply held personal beliefs that I can not live with myself if I were to break. I will not get vaccinated, I’d rather die.

I’m feeling devastated that our company would be heartless enough to lay off 10% of its workforce due to a personal medical choice. I’m not sure how to express the depth of pain this is creating for me and my family. I’m sitting in the office crying and just staring at the screen in disbelief. I’m not sure what to do. I finally found work I like to do, and I feel scared and sad and like as a fellow human my story doesn’t matter to this company or the people calling this a smart move and a good idea.

If anyone has it in them - I really respect my fellow colleagues and cisco family...
I could really use a pep talk. I have been working my bu-t off, trying to give my all to a team and group I care about. Friends and people I care about. People that feel like family.

I don’t know how you, personally feel about any of this, but for me – my world is collapsing.

This company has talked about mental health, one cisco, caring for our fellow team – as long as I’ve been here. And this speaks the exact opposite of all those things to me. I don’t know how to express how deeply heartbroken I am in this moment. I am sobbing at my computer, wishing anyone would listen and understand. Wishing for a friend. Wishing that my beliefs, and my personal needs mattered to anyone.

Please help me, if you can. Just some kind words would be so nice. This is one of the worst days of my career.

Thanks all, love you Cisco family - even if you don't love me.

Sincerely,
Your fellow co-worker.

Let's go Stan.
1 month paid vacation.

Anyone who has gotten the exemption what was the process after filling out the form?

Good.

Email:

Dear Team,

Over the past year and a half, we have navigated the journey of Covid-19 together, from the earliest decision to go remote to how we define hybrid and our global office entry processes. We have been especially intentional and thoughtful in regards to transparency and education throughout, with doctors joining our conversations from the beginning. Along the way we have learned so much and we know that everyone will not always be aligned with our approach, but we remain committed to always putting health, safety, and respect at our core.

On September 9, 2021, the Biden Administration issued an Executive Order requiring all who are working on or in connection with federal contracts or in a facility that conducts federal business to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or have an approved medical or religious accommodation.

As a result, Cisco is requiring all U.S. employees must be fully vaccinated or have an approved medical or religious accommodation by December 8, 2021, to comply with the federal mandate deadline and continue working at Cisco.

We have worked closely with our health experts and legal team to evaluate the complexities of this new executive order from every angle to fully understand the scope of the mandate and the impact it has on Cisco and our people. Our leadership team explored various options and incorporated employee listening to define our approach. As a federal contractor, Cisco is obligated to comply with this Executive Order to maintain our ability to conduct business with the U.S. federal government. Many of our customers and partners are also impacted by this mandate and expect Cisco to comply as a condition of working with them.

While we’re still working through the details of this process, we wanted to share this new policy as soon as possible to allow time to comply with the mandate. Based on previous employee surveys, we anticipate that approximately 90% of Cisco U.S. employees are already vaccinated and will just need to upload their status into Workday for validation.

For those who are not yet vaccinated, there is a limited window of opportunity for you to obtain full vaccination status (including the 14-day waiting period after the final shot) before December 8. We recommend exploring your vaccination options and timelines as soon as possible. For those seeking medical or religious accommodations, the deadline to apply is November 5.

Please see below for our updated U.S. Vaccine Policy for all U.S. employees:

Cisco’s Updated U.S. Vaccine Policy

We are updating our vaccine policy to require that all U.S.-based employees (including U.S. Territories), regardless of whether you work remotely or in a Cisco facility, be fully vaccinated and enter your vaccination information into Workday, or have an approved medical or religious accommodation, by December 8, 2021.

Employees who are not vaccinated or have an approved accommodation will be placed on a leave of absence – with pay through January 8, 2022, and unpaid after that. The leave of absence will not exceed 12 months. This leave is not job-protected (which means Cisco may fill or eliminate the role while the employee is on leave with no guarantee it will be available once the employee is compliant with Cisco’s policy). Cisco will continue employee medical benefits during the leave time.

Cisco contingent workers will need to comply with this policy and will be notified by their suppliers on their process and deadlines.

Action

If you are fully vaccinated, please enter your information into Workday following this process. If you have not started your vaccination process yet, you are encouraged to do so immediately to allow enough time to go through the waiting period before the December 8 deadline. You can locate the nearest vaccination location with the CDC. To request a medical or religious accommodation, please use this form no later than November 5 to allow time to process your request.

​​​​If you are a people manager, look for more guidance within the next day.

If you have questions around the policy, please refer to our FAQs which will be updated on a regular basis. If you need assistance, you can open a People Support case. You can also email office-entry-support@cisco.com.

Thank you,

Fran

How hard is it really to get a "religious exemption" anyway? Couldn't someone just make up their own religion and draft an affidavit that it is against vaccines. As long as the letter is on file, Cisco is covered against lawsuit and you keep your job.

Sending thoughts & prayers....

Stealth way to layoff without paying. Smart