Workforce Transition Option

The Workforce Transition Option dates are:
Oct 7 '20: Phase 1 pre-notification that your job is "at-risk".

- Option 1: Optional Choice program, i.e. volunteer to be terminated and take a package
- Option 2: Step out leave, i.e. take a leave of absence. You cannot take another paid job during the LOA.
- Option 3: Stay put and look, i.e. hope that you can find another internal role you quality for and that you'll be allowed to transfer into, or that your position didn't get cut because too many other "at-risk" people on your team took the optional choice program.

Oct 22 '20: Phase 1 deadline for which option you choose.
Nov 23 '20: Phase 1 last day of employment for those that choose to voluntarily leave or the start of the "step out" leave of absence.
Dec 2 '20: Phase 2 notification
Jan 4 '21: Last of of employment for those notified on Dec 2 regarding their involuntary termination.

It is confirmed. The question is, will it be 10's, 100's or 1000's of employees? If everyone who is notified on Oct 7 takes the Optional Choice program and voluntarily leaves, then there might be no need for the Dec 2 mandatory LR, but let's face it, some people will take their chances.

Just be aware that the package offered with the Dec mandatory LR will be smaller than the Optional Choice package offered on Oct 7th. How much smaller the optional choice package will be compared to the previous LR's or to the CEP is unknown to the general Cisco population right now, but we'll hear about it here on in a little over a week. You can guess from it what the mandatory package will be.

Bumped from @cyf+17aj8PPq for info.

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12 replies (most recent on top)

My grandparents are in an assisted-living facility. If they were to receive a notification regarding "Old Folks Transition Options", I would be very concerned. But "Workforce Transition Options" just makes me think of puppies and kittens.

It will be good to know the impact on Webex. The service and team that let down Cisco and its shareholders massively during the best times for remote conferencing. If very little impact, time to sell Cisco stock because it will be proven that identifying correct root cause and fixing it wont be the forte.

@nqi+17cDdgEl if I get the notice on the 7th, you can bet your a– I ain't doing sh– until Nov 23 lol

Neither would I.

They can’t revoke if they sign the papers on Oct 5.

@nqi+17cDdgEl if I get the notice on the 7th, you can bet your a– I ain't doing sh– until Nov 23 lol

It is in agreement. 7 days after Oct 5 they can revoke.

does Oct 7 notificationsa go to those who accepted ER also as they may withdraw rill oct 12

Where did you see/hear that people taking the CEP can withdraw until Oct 12th? Their employment ends/ended on Oct 5th. I thought the ability to change your mind and revoke your agreement to thake the CEP was one week from the date you were notified that your decision to accept the CEP was approved.

Cisco lawyers would be incredibly stupid to setup a process whereby you can take the CEP, withdraw your offer and not be notified for the Phase 1 notifications. Why wouldn't they just wait and start Phase 1 notifications on Oct 14th instead? One week would eliminate that loophole. Based on that, I think the period of time to change your mind and revoke the CEP agreement ends before your employment ends.

If an employee was notified on the 7th, does anyone know if the employee would be able to leave within a few weeks? In other words, would the employee be forced to stay and work until Nov 23?

I'm not in HR, so I don't have a definitive answer. Historically, when given notice that you are being LR'd, you get to keep your badge & laptop for 30 days until your employment ends. Once your employment ends, you have to sign the agreement not to sue Cisco for anything to get the rest of the package, however, you can sign it early which will effectively terminate your employment early and start the clock on the weeks of additional severance that signing the agreement grants.

I would assume the same still holds true with the optional choice program. Given that this is optional, your manager may want you to work the 30 days, may want you to work just long enough to transition any work load or projects you have, or may simply tell you to do whatever you want for the next 30 days. Given that we're all, for the most part, working from home, how do they know if you're working or not? I would bet other than an occasional meeting, you won't be doing any work during those 30 days, so hold off on signing the agreement that terminates your employment and keep that 30 days as paid days. I would think you'd be able to transition all your work within a day or two. And if they don't like the quality of your hand-off, what are they going to do, fire you? You're already on your way out.

does Oct 7 notificationsa go to those who accepted ER also as they may withdraw rill oct 12

What % of Oct notifications go to those who turned down ER?

If an employee was notified on the 7th, does anyone know if the employee would be able to leave within a few weeks? In other words, would the employee be forced to stay and work until Nov 23?

November is "Open Enrollment".

November is also "Workforce Transition Option Open Enrollment".

Enjoy the bread and circuses with your pumpkin spiced latte. Festive.

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Workforce Transition Option

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