The separation agreement is delivered using DocuSign.
The email, containing the link to the separation agreement, is sent to the employee's
cisco email address - like JohnDoe@cisco.com.
The docuSign email link automatically expires in 48 hour (after the email is sent).
After the expiration, clicking on the email link will cause docuSign to send a new email link to the employee's cisco email address again.
HR advises employees not to sign the separation agreement until after the termination date (as signing the agreement before that date affects benefits).
After the termination date, the employee no longer has access to her cisco email.
The email link, to the separation agreement, also expires after the termination date.
How will the employee sign the separation document, via docuSign, when the original email link to the separation agreement expires?
Anyone dealt with such dilemma before? Any suggestion?
8 replies (most recent on top)
@3joh+1l5zrg5i, can you not read?!
Consequence: not being able to read the agreement and not knowing what servarnce is offered. One does not need that information to discuss it with family or consult a lawyer?
Leaving evaluating the servrance offer to the the day before termination?
Is that what you did - leaving everything to the day before termination?
It is one docuSign link to the document that contains both the servance offer and the final-and-full release document.
Clicking the link to view the document is not the same as signing it. You click the link to view the document, download a copy to print and take to a lawyer or discuss with your family. Then, after you've reviewed it and discussed it, and have made a decision, you sign it, or not, on your last day! Which is what my severance package said to do. What's so f-ing difficult to understand?!
The separation agreement has written that one has until 'termination date + 7 days' to decide whether to accept (and sign) the separation agreement.
It is in writting. I am not a lawyer, but I knew what is written in the separation agreement.
Then that's a new change. I was laid off 15 yrs ago by a company larger than Cisco, and 8 yrs ago by Cisco, and I know people who were laid off in '21, and their packages all said the same.
n the separatation agreement there is one bullet point that one cerfities one has
returned all Cisco equipment. If one still had not returned the cisco laptop at the
moment of signing the separation agreement, that is a conflict between declaring one having returned all cisco equipemnt while still having the cisco laptop in hand.
That is a technical disagreement for lawers to interpret.
Then get the new link the day before, turn in your laptop, and use your personal computer to certify you've returned all Cisco equipment. It's not hard.
Do not impose what you experienced in your termination years ago to this round of 'business restructuring'.
Then quit being such a whiny crybaby. Cisco's severance package is better than most companies, just to make it not worth people's time and effort to fight given how hard it will be to win. In my opinion and situation, it wasn't worth fighting the age-discrimination lawsuit against Cisco's claims that my role "was too expensive". But if you're looking for sympathy on this site, you won't get it.
"Alternate answer: Click on the link before the termination date so that you can read the document"
Consequence: not being able to read the agreement and not knowing what servarnce is offered. One does not need that information to discuss it with family or consult a lawyer?
Leaving evaluating the servrance offer to the the day before termination?
Is that what you did - leaving everything to the day before termination?
It is one docuSign link to the document that contains both the servance offer and the final-and-full release document.
"False. The employee is required to return the Cisco laptop not later than their termination date. "
The HR information sheet advises one returns the laptop before the termination day.
In the separatation agreement there is one bullet point that one cerfities one has
returned all Cisco equipment. If one still had not returned the cisco laptop at the
moment of signing the separation agreement, that is a conflict between declaring one having returned all cisco equipemnt while still having the cisco laptop in hand.
That is a technical disagreement for lawers to interpret.
'I'm not a lawyer, and I doubt you are either. I recall that you were supposed to sign it by your last day of employment, and that signing it before your last day of employment terminated your employment effective the day you sign. Not 7 days after.
'
The separation agreement has written that one has until 'termination date + 7 days' to decide whether to accept (and sign) the separation agreement.
It is in writting. I am not a lawyer, but I knew what is written in the separation agreement.
Do not impose what you experienced in your termination years ago to this round of 'business restructuring'.
Actually, @hjr+1l5zrg5i, I think you're making the wrong assumptions or don't understand.
Why would I have to click on the DocuSign link before the termination date?
Answer: there is only digital document and clicking the link is only way to download and read what is in the separation document. There is no paper copy given , no mail, no letter.
Who would sign something without first being able to read it?
Alternate answer: Click on the link before the termination date so that you can read the document. Clicking the link doesn't sign it. Clicking the Submit or Complete button at the end submits it after you click on all the spots you have to initial and sign.
HR instructs employees to forward the email link to the employee's
private email so that the employee can digitally signs it after the
termination date (via docuSign after leaving Cisco).
Yes. Why wouldn't you do that just to have a copy? But, based on the comment about the link expiring after 48 hrs and the replacement link being emailed to your work email means that you need to click the link less than 48 hrs before your termination date so that you can get the new link while you can still access your corporate email account. What's so hard to understand?
Also, when I click the link does not matter - the link or the docuSign envelop automatically expires in 48 hours after it is sent. Do a google search on the DocuSign envelope notification expiration and there is an explanation from docuSign.
Yes, I read the support doc here:
https://support.docusign.com/s/articles/Do-envelope-notification-emails-expire?language=en_US#:~:text=Do%20DocuSign%20envelope%20notification%20emails%20expire%3F,-DocuSign%20eSignature&text=Yes.,5%20clicks%20or%2048%20hours.
It says:
When you select an expired link the first time, it will auto send a new email notification and present a page telling you the link has expired and a new notification has been sent. All future clicks on the expired email link will offer to send a new email notification with a fresh link.
Also, when I click the link does not matter
Apparently it does matter. You made a big deal to point out that it expires in 48 hrs. And that it resends a new link (presumably to the same email address) so you need to get a new link within the 48 hr window between being terminated and still having access to your email account.
The employee is required to return cisco laptop before the termination date.
So the employee will not have access to cisco laptop and cisco email anymore
on the termination date.
False. The employee is required to return the Cisco laptop not later than their termination date. I believe, but don't have first hand knowledge, that for employees who don't work at a Cisco site that has a local Technical Support Center or work in the same town as their manager can ship the laptop back instead of handing it in on their last day as long as it's shipped within 1-3 days of their last day.
The docuSign email link is sent weeks before the termination date.
By that date, the email link will have expired already.
Yes, you've already said that. And the DocuSign support document you had me Google says it will automatically email you a new link when you click it. Are you incapable of clicking a link or reading a support doc?
So, with an expired docuSign link and without cisco email access on the termination
date, how could one access the document (with an expired link) and sign it after the termination date ?
Easy, I'll say it one more time for the people in the back of the room. Click the link the day before your last day so you still have access to your email account and the link doesn't expire until the day after your termination date. Is math hard?
HR explicitly states digitally signing is the only option - it does not accept paper copy of any form. Paper mail and hand delivery days are long gone,
Wow, progress sucks. I thought the younger generations only wanted to do everything via their phone.
Legally, an employee is supposed to have 7 days after the termination date
to decide whether to sign the document - not getting a new link before the last day and sign it within 48 hours after getting a new link!
I'm not a lawyer, and I doubt you are either. I recall that you were supposed to sign it by your last day of employment, and that signing it before your last day of employment terminated your employment effective the day you sign. Not 7 days after. As I also recall, you have 7 days after you sign to revoke your agreement. I think that's where you're getting the 7 days.
I've been dealing with DocuSign links and documents to be signed for at least 8 yrs. I have to sign my apt lease every year. In most cases, I can download the document and print it so that I can review it, or email it to a lawyer to review prior to signing. Only in one case did it not let me skip to the next page or document w/o "signing", but I was able to initial every page and get to the end so I could download it and print it before coming back to click the final submit button. Until then, it's not signed.
Come back when you have a real issue to complain about. Right now, all your issues you've complained about, my middle school kid was able to figure out how to handle. Please don't try to compete on the show "Are you smarter than a 6th grader" as you've clearly proven you're not.
As a person who took the early exit option (it is a very hot market for those who really know tech) I feel sorry for the people trying to keep up with all the challenges of the WTO programs. They did not initiate any of this, but they have to handle cases where screwed up ADP access is broken, RSU forward vesting is broken, random deposits are incoming (normally not a bad thing - unless you care about details), and they are roaming in the wilderness. Looking back, this makes me smile as to why it really was a good time to exit to greener pastures!
Docusign envelopes have a default option to re-assign to a different signer. Assuming HR neglected to turn off that option, everyone should re-assign their separation agreements to Chucky.
You make a lot of assumptions.
Why would I have to click on the DocuSign link before the termination date?
Answer: there is only digital document and clicking the link is only way to download and read what is in the separation document. There is no paper copy given , no mail, no letter.
Who would sign something without first being able to read it?
HR instructs employees to forward the email link to the employee's
private email so that the employee can digitally signs it after the
termination date (via docuSign after leaving Cisco).
Also, when I click the link does not matter - the link or the docuSign envelop automatically expires in 48 hours after it is sent. Do a google search on the DocuSign envelope notification expiration and there is an explanation from docuSign.
The employee is required to return cisco laptop before the termination date.
So the employee will not have access to cisco laptop and cisco email anymore
on the termination date.
The docuSign email link is sent weeks before the termination date.
By that date, the email link will have expired already.
So, with an expired docuSign link and without cisco email access on the termination
date, how could one access the document (with an expired link) and sign it after the termination date ?
HR explicitly states digitally signing is the only option - it does not accept paper copy of any form. Paper mail and hand delivery days are long gone,
Legally, an employee is supposed to have 7 days after the termination date
to decide whether to sign the document - not getting a new link before the last day and sign it within 48 hours after getting a new link!
It doesn't make sense. You said clicking the link after it expired will send a new link to your Cisco email address. You're not supposed to sign it _before_ your termination date because it affects your benefits, meaning you're supposed to sign it on your last day.
With that said, why would you wait to click the link to get a new link after you've been terminated? Is Cisco hiring _stupid_ employees? Simply click the link the day before your termination to get a new link within 48 hours of your termination date and complete it on your last day. Heck, you can even forward it to your personal email address just to ensure you can still access it on your last day. It's not rocket science.
Granted, when I was LR'd, we had to sign the severance agreement in ink, what they called a "wet signature" and mail the original, blue ink signed document to HR in RTP. It was highly suggested that we use trackable mail to ensure delivery and have a delivery receipt.
Why we couldn't drop it off and get a receipt from someone in HR and had to mail it, I don't know. Maybe it's some State or Federal requirement regarding employment laws. But since it had to be mailed, on my last day I:
- Signed the document first thing that morning
- Made a copy of the doc w/ my signature for my safe keeping
- Generated a Automated Shipping Tool traveler with HR's RTP address
- Added my manager's email as a CC and asked him to forward the tracking info to my personal email address
- Printed the traveler & put it in the FedEx clear plastic sleeve & put the signed doc in the FedEx envelope and the clear plastic sleeve on the envelope.
- Wiped my laptop and left it with a blank formatted drive
- Dropped off the envelope at Shipping and Handling in RTP & got a tracking #
- Dropped off my laptop at the Technical Support Center and got a receipt for turning it in
- and finally I met w/ my manager in his office and handed him my badge, made sure he'd forwarded me the AST shipping receipt, and said good-bye.
The funny thing was, shipping & receiving just scanned in the traveller notifying FedEx there was a package to pickup, the FedEx driver scanned it as picked up, handed it right back and scanned it as delivered and shipping & handling then delivered it to HR's building 50 yards away from shipping and handling and FedEx got paid for shipping it locally across town.
whaaaaaaaat????