#morale

I was laid off in 2024 after 18 years at Cisco. It was a weird time leaving because people just stopped talking to me. It was as if I was gone in a snap. People I thought I knew and worked with everyday, people I considered a friend went radio silent. I remember who they are.

I myself had survived many rounds and I’m 1000% sure I failed in reaching out to those hit to connect before they left. When I was let go, I knew what it felt like.

So all of you who survived this one and the next one, you have an opportunity. Reach out to those you worked with who’ve been hit. Write a message, make a call, or set up a webex do what’s best. You have no idea how much that means to the person impacted. They will remember you.

Next time it could be you. When you’re on the outside, you’ll need to network to find your next job. People will remember how you made them feel. They will answer your call.

We’re all doing our best. Remember those who go before you.

No matter what. Worrying won't change a thing next week.

I'm starting to think that's just a myth the old-timers keep repeating. You couldn't convince me people ever enjoyed working here.

People keep telling me that should be enough. We've just accepted that we have to take the uncertainty, the disrespect, the constant stress, all so we can pay the bills. But that's not actually enough. We spend most of our waking lives at work, often doing overtime, and there's no meaning to any of it beyond the money. Is it any wonder people are burnt out and hate their jobs?

Work just does not happen anymore. Every morning brings a new set of priorities and by afternoon they have changed again. Projects get announced and then abandoned before anyone finishes the first task. People vanish from the org chart overnight with no explanation. Managers are drowning. I have stopped trying to achieve anything meaningful. Now I just float and hope nothing sinks me. Most of my coworkers seem to be doing the same.

We have operated under repeated rounds of cuts and layoffs for an extended period. Each round comes with no follow through and no coherent plan. The result is that the organization has finally reached a breaking point. The systems are brittle. The trust is gone. The momentum is dead. When my own probability of being cut in the near future is as high as it is, why would I buy into any pressure to go above and beyond? The rational choice is to stop pretending that hard work will save me. So that is where I am. I am done.

Made it through this round, but it doesn't feel like winning. This job is just about being afraid to lose it now. Nothing else drives me anymore.

Honestly, it makes me furious. It’s embarrassing and even disgusting to know I work at the same company as these people, even if we’re not in the same department. During such a tough time, when so many teams and colleagues are heartbroken while handing over their work to leave, there are actually some twisted individuals in these anonymous threads gloating over it.
Everyone in my group (at least on the surface) would never stoop that low. The reality is, our roles are different, and whether we bring value really just depends on the company’s strategic direction. When our work no longer aligns with where the company is heading—and let's be real, that’s often completely out of our control—we get laid off. It’s a helpless, sad situation for everyone involved.
So to whoever is gloating right now: no matter who you are, you are the absolute worst, and incredibly stupid. You’re nothing more than a number that just lived on the survive on the list this time.
The people who got laid off will use their talent to land even better jobs elsewhere. As for you? You’d better pray you don't get cut, because you’d be left with absolutely nothing.

We’re failing because there isn’t a single leader including our crybaby CEO who is willing to cut through the bureaucracy, say what’s actually happening, and get sh-t done. Instead we get endless semi-emotional town halls.

This is a job and not a family. I’m here to make a paycheck to support my actual family. And right now? Compensation is embarrassing.

At this point I’d rather work for ruthless leadership that executes than leaders who cry in interviews while the company drifts in circles.

We used to be obsessed with winning. Now we are the poster child of “winning isn’t for everyone including us”

Cisco doesn’t care about you, why should you care about Cisco? Why work hard to make projects successful.

No one here knows when a lay off is going to happen. There might be 4 people maximum that know prior to VPs getting a heads up day of

everyone should reflect on their personal contributions and what theyre bringing to the table Respected efficient top contributors aren’t on here getting scared or fear mongering - so reflect on where you fall and make the case for staying

To the trolls: unless you have founded proof - stop ruining people’s days. You’re literally
Making this worse for everyone.

Layoffs are around the corner. I am feeling so bad.

Hehehe an entire team is about to put in their notice because of the way this company is being run

Columbia College recently eliminated three staff positions. Its staff union claims the college violated its contract. The union states it received no advance notice of these layoffs. These reductions occur amid ongoing financial strain and declining enrollment. The college is now discussing the situation with the union.

https://columbiachronicle.com/campus/we-cannot-survive-on-a-skeleton-crew-columbia-staff-union-says-sudden-layoffs-hurt-morale-student-services/

15 hour days and weekends. No breaks. Leadership does not care.

It’s the last train to Clarksville people.
Long past time to exit stage left.

I've worked in some difficult environments before, but nothing has prepared me for what this place has become. It feels less like a company and more like a dystopian novel where nobody's safe and nothing makes sense.

There was a time when people wanted to work here. When we were proud to say where we did our jobs. That time has passed, and I don't think it's coming back.

Managers don't care about their teams, they just assign work at the last minute and nitpick every little thing. Employee engagement is basically nonexistent, and we've got layers of middle managers who contribute nothing. The disconnect between our teams in different regions is huge, and nobody seems interested in fixing it. They send out surveys asking for feedback, but nothing ever changes, and the town halls are just performative. Then there are layoffs. I don't know a single person who's actually happy working here. Some people are comfortable, sure, but happy? No.

It's genuinely amazing how so many incompetent managers have gathered in one place and figured out how to drain the life out of thousands of talented people. One bad decision after another, and they keep insisting they're turning things around.

I've made a lot of decisions in my life that I'm not proud of, but starting my career here is easily the worst one. I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to look anywhere else.

I can't remember the last time I was able to just sit down and do my job without thinking about performance rankings or future opportunities or whatever new process they've invented this month. Leadership seems obsessed with things that don't matter, and the constant distraction means nothing important ever gets done. It's counterproductive and it's ki-ling the little morale we've got left.

I notice like 70% of the state side people on my team are having to spend multi day writing what they do and what they accomplished after getting a yr end IM rating. The odd thing is often the mgr doesnt even tell you the requirements for the month till week 3. The quality of the mgmt here now is horrible. They dont even pay people who've been around well, its like 1% or less cola and inflation is like 8-10%. The mgmt is straight up rude and completely ungrateful and unhelpful on just about every front.

I feel nauseous.

currently in office experiencing our culture sitting next to someone who got RIF’d while they spend all day on zoom with other RIF’d teammates discussing next steps

I always go into the office expecting the worst but this is a new low

This place is a total dead end. I know I'm working toward nothing. I can't get invested or make myself care. My team is good, and they're the only reason I do my part. But it's getting harder by the day.

I know all the negatives, but I can't think of a single positive.

"With this, we are making changes today that will result in the reduction of our overall workforce in Q4 by fewer than 4,000 jobs, representing less than 5 percent of our total employee base."

Basically, he's saying it's just 4k jobs, no biggie. He doesn't give a damn that so many families are about to lose their livelihood. It's less than 5 percent, so it's all good. Just a small nuisance, nothing else.

I have no idea how we're supposed to get anything done.

Fewer than 10 of our team were cut (US team, not going to DOX myself). The remaining department are breathing a sigh of relief right now.

If you were in a war zone, how would you feel about having your division head with you in a fox hole? I would have been happy to have certain previous division heads with me. Not my current one. Would anyone want to be with their current divsion head in a fox hole during a war?

Has anyone went to HR over mistreatment from a superior and had a good outcome? This individual seems to take great pleasure in belittling and putting me down. They only do this to me and when there are no witnesses. This is not a daily occurrence, but has occurred more than it should. On the days that they are not being completely disrespectful they are cordial but still treat me differently than others. This seems to be the norm here with people in "power positions", but we should not have to tolerate it. With everyone being asked to do more with less and morale at an all time low, this is an unnecessary stress added to an already stressful work environment.

Two of the biggest bootlickers and hardest workers in the office just got the 1-1. Years of dedication without any promotions rewarded with getting laid off like a dog. This is what you get for going above and beyond at Cisco :)

Amid the whole RTO mess and morale being as low as I can remember, we are named one of the best companies for culture in the country. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. We're 19th, in case you were wondering.

https://www.forbes.com/lists/employers-culture/

We are trendy. We have constant LRs. You can argue that we invented this, we do it every quarter, used to be every year. Companies increasingly treat small to medium sized layoffs as a signal of disciplined management... Using targeted headcount reductions to reassure investors and support the stock price. So, we've been making money even before layoffs. Now we are making "EXTRA" money. Whatever. Sick.

Any idea if they will promote this soon?? I’m putting bare minimum effort and I don’t feel like putting that sh-t anymore.

Looks like the Ford family just handed out a few more years of free money, proving that "d-mb" is a relative term when you've got $19 billion to burn. Sure, he was an arrogant id--t who took a job he definitely didn't qualify for, but let's be real: that's on the genius who thought hiring him was a good idea. At this point, the only one actually leaving is the rest of us.

I've watched teammates ki-l themselves with extra hours and extra work, only to blame themselves when they got cut, convinced they just weren't good enough. Meanwhile, the office politics crowd sails through every round doing nothing. If that's not you, at least stop giving this place more than it deserves.