Inclusion and Collaboration

Our CommitmentCisco is expanding on our long-term commitment to advocate for inclusion and social justice for our people—inside and outside the workplace. We take a stand on key issues that violate our policy on discrimination and threaten the equal rights, safety, and dignity of our people. We were one of the very first U.S. companies to recognize that marriage inequality outside of the workplace significantly hindered our ability to provide equal benefits to the families of our LGBTQ employees.

Because of that early awareness, we’re now well-versed in taking effective action. We do what it takes—from filing “friends of the court” legal briefs, to changing our location and event strategies to favor geographies that share our views on equal rights and inclusion.

Our stand for fairness for all has expanded this year as social injustices and tragedies continue to unfold in communities across the U.S., where people are being targeted simply because of their race, orientation, and beliefs. We’ve worked across our communities to take effective action.

Our PeopleOur people view our company as a critical voice in the fight for fairness and equality. We’re committed to keeping

the dialogue going, collaborating with communities, and advocating for long-term solutions that build fairness into policies, practices, and laws that break down barriers. When sensitive or controversial topics arise in the workplace—like the bathroom bills, the aftermath of a contentious election, the growing divide in fair law enforcement, and race relations in the wake of the tragedy in Charlottesville—we discuss them respectfully and openly.

Courageous ConversationsWe’ve created multiple solutions to support open dialogue, including our new Courageous Conversation guides for work and for families, an FAQ, and Meeting-In-A-Box. These guides have been used by employees and team leaders alike to educate employees and families to support open, respectful conversations. Ninety percent of participants have indicated that they find value in this content and are better able to conduct beneficial conversations within their teams using these assets. Additionally, representatives of the Office of Inclusion and Collaboration have facilitated an increasing number of Courageous Conversation workshops at Cisco offices around the globe.

Taking a Stand for Social Justice

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Fairness and Equality

for Everyone

Inclusion and Collaboration

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These virtual and in-person workshops are in high demand as a result of current events occurring world-wide. With courageous conversations, the sharing is both emotional and transformational.

What we now understand is this: For many of us, this grief, pain, and fear is a frequent or daily experience. For many of our employees, their dignity, respect, and security are threatened. Through open, respectful dialogue, we can continue to support each other—and our communities.

Taking a Stand for Social Justice Over the past two years, we have chosen to oppose the controversial “bathroom bills” in North Carolina and Texas that threaten equal rights for our LGBTQ employees and our communities. In collaboration with the Human Rights Campaign, our CEO, Chuck Robbins, and dozens of other leaders of major companies, sent a letter calling on North Carolina’s Governor and the State General Assembly to repeal the bill.

In Texas, we’ve partnered with 13 technology companies including Google, Facebook, Apple, and IBM to urge the governor to stop pursuing discriminatory legislation. Our Chief Inclusion and Collaboration Officer, Shari Slate, and representatives from Cisco Government Affairs, traveled to Texas to participate in an organized tech lobby day to voice opposition to the bill.

We also joined forces to oppose the immigration and travel ban from predominantly Muslim countries, and we’re

expanding our engagement around the growing crisis of fair and equitable treatment by law enforcement.

In every way, our advocacy starts with listening to our people and their diverse perspectives, and by gaining a deep understanding of what’s at stake within our company and across our communities.

Listening to Employee SentimentBased on employee sentiment, we also chose to address the White House’s executive order on immigration in a monthly meeting and a special “Cisco Beat,” all-employee broadcast, dedicated solely to the topic. Our executive leadership team was on hand to answer questions. Both times, the purpose was to educate, listen, respond, and to make sure employees felt heard and supported.

Attendance for the Cisco Beat dedicated to the executive order indicated employees were hungry to learn where Cisco stood on the issue. The broadcast had 7,800 live attendees and over 7,000 replays. Ninety-four percent of employees appreciated using the session to address a tough issue, and 96 percent said questions were answered openly and clearly. Nearly 100 percent said they appreciated having an open forum with the executive leadership team to discuss the issue.

While employees didn’t always agree on our public stance, their feedback told us they felt that overall, communications were open, transparent, and supportive.