Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

Working from Home post COVID

My boss told me today Cisco is going to change big time in terms of people coming into the office every day to work post Covid. I told him that I respectfully disagree. He asked why. I told him dude if someone can work from home then that just means someone in India or Indonesia can do their same work for pennies on the dollar. Lord knows Cisco already does that. So those of you wanting to not come into the office anymore I'll listen to your argument on your way to the unemployment line once the ELT figures this out and I'm sure they're already licking their chops with how much money they will save in the coming year via outsourcing.

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Post ID: @OP+1bgytBp2

17 replies (most recent on top)

We were told this past month. Our SOW wasn't written with a 'onsite requirement' so nothing to rewrite, but your contract is quarterly, so it could change.

The SOW is not re-written every quarter. It is "renewed" every quarter and the only "changes" are the $ amount based on the number of billable hours for that quarter. That's what prevents vendors from being able to raise their rates to Cisco after several years.

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Post ID: @2cxv+1bgytBp2

"And don’t forget to wiggle the mouse periodically."

There is an app for that.

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Post ID: @2rgj+1bgytBp2

Oh, but there is a huge LR coming.

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Post ID: @2hjd+1bgytBp2

Now just think of how much money they can save doing a huge LR before any of the products can ship and pay out the commissions. Staggers the imagination.

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Post ID: @1bwb+1bgytBp2

I wanna go back in the office. Free coffee errr mornin'............

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Post ID: @1dmi+1bgytBp2

@rhi+1bgytBp2 "When was that announced"

We were told this past month. Our SOW wasn't written with a 'onsite requirement' so nothing to rewrite, but your contract is quarterly, so it could change.

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Post ID: @1xqr+1bgytBp2
So - if I were you, I would find a way to be in the office with your leader as much as possible to avoid that frustration from coming up.

I wish that was possible. In my case, I'd have to move to another state. And I'd have to move into his son's room while his son is away at college because my manager is a "remote" worker. In fact, I'm the only person on the team who is assigned a cube in an office, so all our meetings are virtual.

...but as it becomes frustrating to managers that they can't just have a meeting on demand by walking out to the cubes...

When my manager wants an ad hoc meeting, he just put a message in our team room that says "@person1 @person2 @person3 please join my room ASAP". No scheduling necessary.

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Post ID: @fcd+1bgytBp2
It was already announced red badges would no longer work on campus, they must work from their company's premises. Only red badges that require physical access, will be on campus, like Safety&Security, Facilities, etc.

When was that announced? I haven't heard that. My statement of work (SOW) was written that I _had_ to be _in_ the office. I'm told that my management has no intention of revising my SOW to go remote.
I'm betting Cisco won't rewrite the SOW because then my vendor would/could increase the billing rates because I've been in the same role now for 3+ yrs with no cost of living increase. They want to make more $'s off of me and I want to make more $'s too.

However, my job is more IT related and my entire team are remote workers, so I'm the _only_ person on site. If they go "hybrid" like I'm hearing, I'll probably be allowed to split my time between in the office and WFH.

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Post ID: @rhi+1bgytBp2

we had someone in our group that went as far as painting their home office the same exact color as the conference room at work he normally used for calls.

to the untrained eye, you could not tell if he was in the office or at home.

crazy because he lived five minutes from rtp campus and chose never to come in to the office.

#lazy

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Post ID: @xse+1bgytBp2

As a leader, I would say that the OP is not wrong, but is also not 100% correct.

I think that the going in intention is not to just outsource it all to India / Asia, but as it becomes frustrating to managers that they can't just have a meeting on demand by walking out to the cubes, they will start to say "If I a have to deal with the headache of scheduling, I might as well start hiring overseas, its cheaper and the same amount of headache"

So - if I were you, I would find a way to be in the office with your leader as much as possible to avoid that frustration from coming up.

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Post ID: @sqp+1bgytBp2

If three people you know where can do your job, then yes, your job is at risk. If there is someone you know where with your title, whether it is two years or two months then it is just a matter of time.

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Post ID: @kss+1bgytBp2

It was already announced red badges would no longer work on campus, they must work from their company's premises. Only red badges that require physical access, will be on campus, like Safety&Security, Facilities, etc.

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Post ID: @dag+1bgytBp2

Uncle Ben that's the posters point. If your job isn't needed at the office and you can safely do it from home then it can easily be outsourced and done anywhere for cheap and you're no longer needed.

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Post ID: @ssn+1bgytBp2

A large variety of jobs does not benefit from being present in an office. I'm thinking HR, finance, sales operations, IT, CX advanced services, AMs, TSAs, partner-facing folks, internal helpdesk. That's a nice chunk of folks right there. The savings in terms of real estate and associated costs are just too compelling. IMHO only employees with creative roles truly have a justification to sit together. If your job consists in just rehashing content created by others, or entering data in web forms or watching virtual LEDs blink on gear then you can do at home perfectly well.

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Post ID: @jgq+1bgytBp2

I used to think that way while I worked at Cisco. And I agree that’s true for Cisco. It’s a shame how that place and it’s perpetual labor reduction changes people’s mentality.

Now I work for a competitor with coworkers in similar roles in every US timezone, Europe, and India. My company is Silicon Valley based but most of my team doesn't work in here. I asked to work from home post Covid, my request was granted, and I’m not worried about layoffs.

I hope Cisco management turns things around for the better of their labor force.

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Post ID: @tnk+1bgytBp2

Yes, absolutely true.

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Post ID: @hwz+1bgytBp2

Ya, but don’t they have webex?

Said snarkly
;)

And don’t forget to wiggle the mouse periodically.

Smirk

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Post ID: @gqn+1bgytBp2

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