About the past Over the past year, Cisco looked publicly like one of the few tech companies that had avoided internal backlash over its response to the war in Gaza. Chuck Robbins, the CEO of the Silicon Valley giant known for its routers, cybersecurity services and WebEx video calling, released a statement last November acknowledging the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians.
And just two months ago, Francine Katsoudas, Cisco's Chief People, Policy, and Purpose Officer, smiled as she posed for photos with many of the company's employee organizations, including those for the Palestinians. However, this photo later became a source of significant disagreement within the company.
Eight current and one former employees who spoke to WIRED allege that behind the scenes, Cisco has marginalized its internal Palestinian advocacy groups and their hundreds of members. During a turbulent period that began last July, the people allege the company failed to promptly and adequately monitor the harassment of Palestinian employees and their allies in company forums, despite detailed complaints. They further claim that Cisco stopped an internal petition calling for restrictions on sales to Israel due to potential human rights concerns.
“We have been attacked and harassed, sabotaged and slandered,” said João Silva Jordão, a software licensing manager in Lisbon who quit Cisco last month in disgust after four years at the company. “I was given the impression that my humanitarian side was welcome at Cisco, but I was absolutely ripped off. It is double standards and hypocrisy.”
Meanwhile, another recent ex-employee who was fired says some Jewish employees at Cisco believe the company failed to adequately stop harassment of them by Palestinian groups. This person criticized executives for not doing more to stop war talks by workers on both sides. “Things could have been done by leadership to reduce the mess across the board,” he says. “It's sad that more hasn't been done.”
Brian Tippens, Cisco's Chief Social Impact and Inclusion Officer, refutes the accusations of marginalization and unequal treatment. He says Cisco's focus is on the well-being of all its 90,000 employees, and he apologizes to anyone who feels the company has failed to meet its humanitarian goals.
Tippens tells WIRED that Cisco doesn't want to completely shut down what it considers political speech, but amid the internal unrest it has issued so-called Expressions Guidelines to encourage civility and respect.
