Over the past year, Cisco has been praised for its handling of the conflict in Gaza, with CEO Chuck Robbins publicly acknowledging the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians. However, behind the scenes, current and former employees allege that the company has marginalized its internal Palestinian advocacy groups and failed to address harassment of Palestinian employees and their allies on its intra-company forums. Some employees also criticize Cisco for not doing enough to stop harassment against Jewish workers by the Palestinian groups. Cisco’s chief social impact and inclusion officer, Brian Tippens, refutes these accusations and states that the company’s focus has been on the well-being of all its employees. He also mentions that Cisco has issued guidelines to encourage civility and respect in discussions about the conflict. Despite these allegations, Tippens assures that Cisco has been thoughtful and deliberate in its decision-making process and is confident in its approach.
