This company is slowly declining and all efforts are focused on reducing costs, more or less.
I think a voluntary early retirement program would be very well-received by most employees here?
16 replies (most recent on top)
"if they offer an ER again, even Chuck would take it in a blink! "
chuckie, fran, and the buffoon maria (with her stooges) ahould all be given unsolicited retirement. They have already bilked the company enough to be on par with JC now. What a dump of a company these woke mo--ns have turned this into.
I took the money and ran during the "Covid" early retirement offering. Best move I ever made! Paid off all my debt and took 6 months off. Regrouped and gained my confidence again. Now I am back at it as a real IT manager and love it. They appreciate me for what I offer and do. No more carrot dangling in front of my face. If you EVER get the chance to bounce....DO IT. I love my job, I am happy and sleep at night without the stress Cisco mgmt bakes into your soul.
I missed the last big ER plan a couple years ago by 1 year. Got booted instead ("aged" + white), but with the severance pay + vacation payout, it was almost as large.
Paid my house off.
ER costs Cisco money. It's easier to just drop kick people who aren't drinking the Kool-Aid and/or who have displeased management by not kissing their ring. Given the myopic view of chasing quarterly earnings they don't see that replacing the expensive people who leave with cheap just out of college grads who are silly enough to work their butts off 24 by 7 is a long term net savings.
With natural wastage at its current rate (what is it, about 10% now?) there's no need for either LR or ER.
Why pay people to leave when they are walking anyway?
The days of ER are gone. It's hunger games now baby! This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around. If you are old enough to recognize this riff: leave now before you get waxed. ER days are gone. You got gray hair, you history, adios cornholio.
I think taking the ER package in late 2020 was one of the best moves I have made in my career. I was at Cisco for 15 years and held various (engineering and architecture) positions at Cisco. I felt it was "normal" to work crazy hours and to always chase the next promotion etc.
It took me about a year away from Cisco to realize I was back to my "old self" and waking up in the morning happy. I really do feel that I did not see how much stress was on me until that crushing weight was removed for a while.
I found a spot right away and now working for a smaller IT services company and I must admit it is wonderful. sc--w the rat race and the bits of cheese tossed in to keep us happily running that same maze every day.
Took the ER in 2011 (but returned 4 years later). It was the second time the company offered it and said it would be the last. Then it was offered again in late 2020. Never say never.
I would leave right now if the ER were like the first one years ago. No kidding, cisco lost so many of the people that helped get the boat really moving. All we have ended up with is 90% of the people that couldn't technically push their ways out of a wet paper bag in the industry and the ones at the bottom of the list where they were. The last one was really only good for those that were leaving within the year anyways. If cisco really wants to cut headcount and expenses long term I would say "Please offer that again like the first one and I'll have my junk in the mail back before the end of the day".
The 'Oprah effect:' everything she touches turn into gold. Let see if Cisco is going to "bo-m" and its stock to skyrocket as a result of Oprah's visit. Oprah will promote Cisco to her followers, errrrrrrrrm, then they will buy Cisco h/w and s/w.
Should have asked Oprah while she was still on screen. Missed your chance to all of life’s most difficult questions 🙄. What a colossal waste of money. Next you know, they will start laying off people to balance Oprah’s fees on the books.
Oh yeah I would receive it very well! The thing is that it would deplete the stock of folks that still know things and that still want to work to a very dangerously low level.
if they offer an ER again, even Chuck would take it in a blink!
Just make the pie a little bit sweeter this time, and they will have some solid uptake.
Hopefully you will see it again; not sure in today's business climate.
Took it going on four years ago. At the time, it felt strange leaving. Was fortunately relatively easy to get a new job.
Not sure how they'd offer it again, has to be a major expense for a company.
It did allow me to "retire" early, but have been consulting and floating from job to job; making up for lost time of staying for a long time at Cisco. Consulted there for a several months, but choose not to renew after the quarter; just too much dysfunction.
Hopefully they will offer it again, it is truly a life changing event if you are at the 50-ish age mark and know your stuff. Never have had to worry about a job; Cisco was good, but it is a big world out there.
Amen to that.