Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

It's about revenues generation. Salaries mean squat. If you are a low performer in a revgen area. Frankly if you are older and at the tail end. And I know from experience that there are an army of lawyers making sure that the age discrimination laws are not crossed.

The RSUs make logical sense. What doesn’t it I know of employees, including myself, who got positive feedback on our performance, yet were laid off only to see very similar positioned to ours posted. This feels like more than getting rid of those based on performance. If it is, then Cisco needs to train leaders to give open and honest feedback to their employees. It’s frustrating to be told you are doing good work only to find yourself on the layoff list.

I have a working theory that it has to do with yet-to-be-vested RSUs. If they can reabsorb those stock units, they’re putting $80 million back in their coffers, if the people who I talked to have an average amount of unvested stock, times 4000. It’s kind of insidious. I don’t think it’s the only thing they considered, but it’s the one factor I’ve found in common between everyone who got fired. This is a deduction, not a thing I know for a fact, but I think it’s credible.

Look at the competition who is growing and hiring. They have focused on business and not woke agendas.

Formula? They use darts, no formula!

I worked in Business Operations during a layoff and dealt with organizing layoff materials.

Employees are quietly aligned to future projects based on relationships. The employees aligned to projects without funding are cut. It's entirely relationship based, not skill or experience based.

Woke initiatives have led to disappointing business results which have turned into layoffs

If you bi--h and moan a lot and use the word 'woke' as part of your normal vocabulary you SHOULD be a prime target.

If you can't leave politics at home, you should be a prime target, regardless of what side you're on. Three things to not talk about at work: s-x, religion & politics.

They identify areas that they decide have the least value/impact to the business. Then they look at performers. They aren’t supposed to but don’t kid yourself, they are going to cut people they don’t think carry their weight.

Salary and years of service have zero impact

Salary and years of service have a major impact. Why "aren’t (they) supposed to ... cut people they don’t think carry their weight"? That's exactly what a "limited restructuring" is supposed to be about. Unfortunately, Cisco's been doing "LRs" for over a decade where it's been more about budget and less about performance and years of service equal experience and experience equals higher salary, and higher age, which combined make a f-ing big target on your back.

From what I've heard this time around, it was no more a limited restructuring instead of a OpEx reduction than any other prior LR, regardless of what the ELT said. About the only thing "limited" about this one is that they didn't hit every BU across the board. Within each BU, the same old LR criteria took place rather than looking at who was redundant, not generating revenue, or needed to "run the business".

@1aza+1kqeoiwS look at the org chart. They obviously don’t care about span of control.

None of this is accurate. It has nothing to do with salaries. They look at spans of control at management levels. You don’t need a manager or director with 2 direct reports. They identify areas that they decide have the least value/impact to the business. Then they look at performers. They aren’t supposed to but don’t kid yourself, they are going to cut people they don’t think carry their weight.

Salary and years of service have zero impact

Price. Save money. Cut budget. Can be good or bad performer. Just expensive.

If you bi--h and moan a lot and use the word 'woke' as part of your normal vocabulary you SHOULD be a prime target.

That is correct if you are not woke then you are on the list to be let go. The Top Performers are not historically woke so they are let go. Cisco has stopped being in the technology business and has turned into a woke company. More woke positions will be created that do nothing for the business which in turn will lead to more LRs of top performers.

Factors I've seen that indicate your risk.

1. Non Indian
2. Conservative - seen several groups in which the only ones laid off were obvious conservatives
3. Over 50 (this is a given)

If your DONT virtue Signal your wokeness: immediate layoff

If you DO virtue Signal your wokeness: eventual layoff after they destroy your family too

Every manager is issued a Magic 8 Ball and a Ouija Board to help them decide.

May luck and the spirits be ever in your favor.