Cisco Canada: Severance Packages
Cisco Systems Canada (Cisco Canada) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc. (Cisco), which is an American multinational technology company. Cisco offers a variety of products and services that help businesses bolster their IT and networking capabilities.
Founded in 1984, the networking giant employs a global workforce of more than 101,000 people, according to LinkedIn. The Canadian arm of Cisco is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The company has offices in major cities across Canada, including Montreal, Halifax, Calgary, and Vancouver. According to Cisco’s website, the company specializes in cybersecurity, switches, routers, as well as the Internet of Things (IoT).
Recent layoffs at Cisco Systems
- August 2024: Cisco is reportedly planning to lay off as many as 4,000 employees, marking the company’s second round of mass layoffs in 2024.
- February 2024: Cisco is eliminating approximately five per cent of its total workforce — affecting more than 4,000 jobs.
- December 2022: Cisco is planning to lay off approximately five per cent of its workforce as part of a company-wide restructuring.
- August 2019: Cisco is laying off approximately 488 employees in California. 397 jobs are being eliminated in San Jose and 91 staff members are being let go in Milpitas.
- November 2018: Cisco is cutting around 500 jobs in California as an internal shakeup ripples through its ranks.
- May 2017: Cisco is planning to eliminate approximately 1,100 jobs as part of a company-wide restructuring. The company didn’t disclose how many Canadian employees will be affected by the latest reduction.
- August 2016: Cisco is reportedly laying off around 14,000 employees, or 20 per cent of its global workforce. The reduction comes as the company transitions into a software-centric organization.
- August 2014: Cisco is reportedly planning to eliminate around 6,000 jobs as it restructures its business.
- August 2013: Cisco is laying off 4,000 employees, or five per cent of its global workforce, as part of a company-wide restructuring. The networking giant said the reduction comes as it pursues new growth opportunities.
- July 2012: Cisco is cutting roughly 1,300 jobs, or two per cent of its global workforce. A company spokesperson said the networking giant routinely reviews its business and needs to “align investment based on growth opportunities.”
Severance pay for Cisco Canada employees
In Canada, non-unionized employees at Cisco may get up to 24 months of severance pay when they are fired or laid off from their job. This applies to individuals working in any capacity—full-time, part-time, or hourly—in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Contractors may also be entitled to severance pay due to employee misclassification.
Severance is the compensation provided to non-unionized workers in Canada by their employer when they are terminated without cause.
Even if an employee is fired for cause, they may still be eligible for full severance pay. This is due to the high standards required to legally justify for-cause dismissal.
LEARN MORE
• Severance for provincially regulated employees
• Severance packages in mass layoffs
• How severance pay works by company
• Severance for federally regulated employees
The right to severance pay is consistent regardless of economic conditions, company downsizing, business closures, or significant public health events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains everything you need to know about severance pay on an episode of the Employment Law Show.
The employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP have represented tens of thousands of employees over the years in severance package negotiations.
We have successfully secured much larger amounts for individuals employed across a variety of positions, from entry level jobs to executives.
How to properly calculate severance pay
There is a general belief that severance is one week’s pay, two weeks’ pay, or a week for every year of service an employee has with a company.
The reality is that severance for non-unionized employees in Canada is calculated using a variety of factors, including age, length of service, position, bonuses, benefits, and your ability to find new work.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Severance Pay in Ontario
• Alberta severance packages
• Understanding severance in B.C.
• Layoffs in Canada
Before accepting a severance offer, double-check the amount using our firm’s free Severance Pay Calculator. It has helped millions of Canadians determine their entitlements.
If your employer’s offer falls short of what our Severance Pay Calculator says you are owed, it’s very likely that you have been wrongfully dismissed and should contact an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
Don’t sign on the dotted line!
Do not accept any severance offer, termination papers, or exit agreement that you receive. Once you sign back these documents, you eliminate your ability to negotiate additional severance pay.
Non-unionized employees in Canada have up to two years from the date of their dismissal to pursue proper severance pay. An employer’s deadline to sign back a severance offer is not legally enforceable or binding.
Generally speaking, if an employee does not receive the proper amount of severance pay when they lose their job, they may be considered to have been wrongfully dismissed. An employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP can analyze your situation and explain how much compensation you may be owed.
Talk to an employment lawyer
The experienced employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP has helped tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals across the country. In addition to severance package negotiations, our team has experience securing solutions for the following employment matters:
Our lawyers in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. stand ready to help you solve your workplace issues.
If you are a non-unionized employee who needs help with an employment issue, contact us or call 1-855-821-5900 to get the advice you need, and the compensation you deserve.
Disclaimer: The materials above are provided as general information about the rights of non-unionized employees in Canada. It is not specific to any one company and should not be read as suggesting any improper conduct on the part of any specific employer, or a relationship between Samfiru Tumarkin LLP and a specific employer.