I've had my webex with my manager and HR, i've been informed my position is at risk. I plan on declining the step-out transition leave, does this mean its a formality and i will lose my job? Or is there a risk they could change their mind and i would have to stay?
8 replies (most recent on top)
Do yourself a favor and get out. Cisco laid off 4000 in 2011 to reach a billion in cost savings. Sales the area you usually don't want to impact has been cut and I can say after seeing many I know impacted its deep. More than likely I bet they let go 6 - 7k on top of the 2100 which took the ERP. I was laid off before and was fortunate enough to find a better job at Cisco. However I have my experience and now I am going to leave. Why ? Cisco is not a career its a job. Its that job you use and abuse to get where you need to be. Think about this for those of you like myself still fortunate to be employed after the 2020 Hunger games. We are not safe. There is no safe space here at Cisco. You cannot plan to buy a house or do anything else long term financially at Cisco. Chuck is more worried about selling his 17 million dollar mansion ( On the market for 6 months now ) so he can get into his 30 million dollar mansion vs making Cisco better. One of the exec id–ts was laughing not to long ago on a Cisco Check In where they were talking about laying people off. That person should be fired and in front of everyone to embarrass them for their behaviour.
Don't do it. Take the package. If you read the fine print, it doesnt take effect until 11/23. If you find another position before then, you can then revoke the package up to a week after 11/23. The package in Dec is worse and the other interesting language is that you can get hired back right away. You just have to pay back the package prorated to your new start date.
Your job is gone. Accept the package and then if you really want to stay, look for another open job both in and outside. Anyone who doesn't accept it is not making the logical choice.
Take a second look at the step out package details. Down at the bottom is the details of the severance package you'd get should you be LR'd in December. 6 months now, 3 months later plus 2 months Cobra. Stay one more month at a very high risk of receiving net 2 months less pay and 3 months less health benefits (netting out the extra month you'd work).
Taking the risk depends a lot on your role. What they've stated is that they want to hit those savings numbers. Maybe enough people take the package and there's some money left over for you? They've already decided that they can live without you (and me too) so if you haven't found something else by 12/5 its likely that you'll just get the smaller package. Sure, they might hit their savings targets without your leaving but you'd also be competing against everyone else who risked it in the larger group, probably not just your team, for that bit of savings. If you're in marketing you could be competing with everyone staying in marketing - central decision making maybe.
You’re toasted, both sides. No chance of any change of mind related to your role. I was in the same position and took the severance. A few people at the same looked around the company and found a different role they could move to. So stop doing whatever work your doing, that boat has sailed. If you want to stay in Cisco start working that extended network, do it quickly, an email followed by a phone call explaining you’re at risk but want to stay. Be prepared for maybe a drop in salary or grade. If you don’t want to stay avail yourself of every support Cisco is offering, join the Cisco Alumni group on facebook, read some of the tips on here. Revamp your CV, update your linked in making it obvious your available to be hired, maybe pay for the upgraded premium service, get back in touch with those recruiters who randomly contacted and connected with you. There are roles out there, good luck.
Great questions most people would ask in those HR meetings, or then there’s rando internet experts.
If you are based out of UK then that is the process of laying off people. For legal reasons they cannot just fire you. They have to give you a consultation first. This means your job is at risk and you will likely be laid off unless you can find something else inside of the company in the next couple of weeks. You probably have been given sometime ( a week perhaps) to "think" things over.
If you take the offer then you usually get the maximum amount of severance pay allocated for you depending on time of service, total pay etc. If you don't and are not able to find anything inside of Cisco within that time frame, then you are looking at the legal minimum for severance.
They are hoping you would leave on your own accord and not have to pay any severance (assuming there will be severance if they have to lay you off). Or else don't want to lay you off on the spot and leave you stunned. They would not tell you that your job is at risk if there is the possibility that they will change their minds. HR does not do that. Very important that you start looking. If you cannot find anything, ask outright if there is another opening in the company that you can move into just to buy more time to look for a new job and/or to ride out this terrible job market. Do not spend any more precious time working harder than you need to because everything that you will do on the job will no longer matter once you leave the job. Save your energy for your next job.
From my understanding the decision has already been made and your job is gone. They’re giving people extra time as a courtesy, I don’t think there’s anything that can change the decision.