I'm one of the Viptela members acquired by CSCO.
It does not look good here at CSCO.
Looking to jump ship as soon as my bonus from Viptela is paid at the end of September.
11 replies (most recent on top)
PRO TIP: Keep your max PTO topped off @ 280 hours (or more if you're one of the chosen ones). They HAVE TO pay that to you when you leave, in cash. It is a nice little addition to the overall exit package.
Even if you have less than 5 yrs, but are over 40, 45 or even 50!, keep your PTO maxed. I didn't do the 240 hrs because then I stopped accruing PTO and simply gave away money to Cisco. But I did keep it over 200 and when I got close to 234 hrs, I'd take a week off and start accruing again.
I didn't realize how the PTO system worked when I first became an employee. I thought that you couldn't roll over more than 240 hrs at the end of the year and planned to take enough PTO in Dec to drop me back below 240 hrs. When I suddenly didn't accrue my 6.x hrs the first pay period after hitting 240 hrs, I realized that 240 was a cap and had to resort to taking one day every pay period. My manager at that time told me that I had demonstrated poor decision making and planning when I told him I was going to start taking every other Friday off until Dec. I was glad that I was able to find a better manager in the next position.
But, yes, having an extra 200+ hours of pay added to your severance is nice. My current employer does not roll any PTO over, and does not pay out unused PTO at the end of the year. Every employee signs a document that they read and understood the employee handbook which spells out that you must use all your PTO by the of the year, and that you must coordinate with your manager all PTO in December to ensure that the team functions are covered in Dec when everyone is trying to use up all their PTO. I'm not sure which system I like better.
I know people who do the Bare minimum and are waiting for a package.
They don't deserve a package, but they deserve to be shown the door. I may not be happy about being LR'd in the past, but I can honestly say that I was not let go for performance reasons. It was all about budget and where the team was going compared to my current skills.
@OOK9N9e-1ccy - many (most?) startups have a vesting trigger at acquisition, so that everyone with equity gets a payout when the company is bought. I imagine the Viptela folks are talking about an additional Cisco shares award
When you guys "retire" after a few quarters of getting acquired, how long was the lockup in your shares? There's no way cisco lets them vest that quick, or did some M&A trigger kick in and you got some immediate vesting? Even then, why would cisco agree to that? I think these statements are BS.
It's damn toxic culture here....
PRO TIP: Keep your max PTO topped off @ 280 hours (or more if you're one of the chosen ones). They HAVE TO pay that to you when you leave, in cash. It is a nice little addition to the overall exit package.
I am so happy I got LR in May. Did not know it at the time but worked out way better than if I did not get laid off.....I got a 7 month package and had a higher paying job with the competition before my last day at Cisco. There is life after Cisco (LAC ) and it's awesome. Advice: get your finances in order so you are more in control and prepare for being laid off. It's not a matter of if but when you will be LRed. I know people who do the Bare minimum and are waiting for a package.
OP - Take the Money And Run: https://youtu.be/-WCFUGCOLLU
I told my boss at NDS I would give the 'new owners' two years before deciding my own future with CSCO. I could only take 18 months and decided to retire on my wife's birthday. CSCO cut the former senior NDS managers, including my former boss months later, then began the systematic reduction of our former department global staff. OP, stay with the toxicity and get a severance package or, look hard and line up another employment opportunity before you pull the plug.
@rab my thoughts exacetely - cannot stand it any more
I was hoping to get on LR list but it looks like LRs are in stealth mode for now after last night's earnings call. It's time to leave regardless. Can't stand this toxicity any longer.