Responsible or Questionable? Cisco Fires Employees for Their Comments During Its Virtual Diversity Conference

Cisco’s decision to fire employees for their intolerant comments on the topic of Black Lives Matter has been applauded but also questioned.

Since the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, the Black Lives Matter Movement has gained momentum, and it has led several organizations to take a stand in support of Black citizens and employees. Very few organizations, however, have been able to effectively foster a culture of true inclusion. Cultural acceptance of different races in an enterprise has not taken root completely.

Companies are trying to address this issue in several ways. One of the ways is to demonstrate zero tolerance towards racial comments or behavior from their employees. CiscoOpens a new window made headlines as it announced that it has fired employees who made such comments during its virtual diversityOpens a new window forum held in June. Some workers posted comments that were believed to be demeaning to Black people. Bloomberg reported that one employee mentioned “Black lives don’t matter. All lives matter.” Several other such comments were made.

When the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum several technology companies, including Cisco, shared their support for equal rights and opportunities for Black Americans. This decision to remove employees who shared their comments has been met with mixed reactions, resulting in applause but also internal conflict within the company.

Several companies have been taking a zero-tolerance approach to moves or comments that perpetuate anti-Black sentiment.

A few weeks ago, the Adidas HR ChiefOpens a new window stepped down from her role when the company was called out for allowing a racist and discriminatory workplace to thrive. IBM banned the sale of facial recognition technologyOpens a new window to law enforcement professionals, identifying that its ability to discern facial cues from candidates may be prejudiced. Microsoft and Amazon have also followed suit.

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Is Firing Employees the Answer to Changing Workplace Culture?

Discussions around workplace diversity are often polarizing, and employers are walking a thin line when instituting change and strategies in the workplace. Several comments on Twitter show that people are enraged that employees have been fired for just “having a different opinion,” claiming that Cisco’s move could be construed as wrongful termination and the company has opened itself up to potential lawsuits.

As per Cisco, 237 of 10,400 comments that were made during the June 1 video conference objected to what was being presented at the forum. Interestingly, some employees apologized for their statements and stated that they were still learning, according to the Bloomberg report.

When employees on the sets of The Ellen Degeneres Show reported experiencing a racist and toxic workplace, the producers released a statementOpens a new window that said, “For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better.”

The experience of Black employees in the workplace cannot be diminished and needs to be given the due attention it deserves. Firing employees may make a strong statement to the world in demonstrating a zero-tolerance policy toward what is seen as racist behavior. At the same time, if employees or leaders show a willingness to change, it indicates some amount of promise that organizations will be able to leverage training that sensitizes employees open to changing their opinions on the issues marginalized communities experience in the workplace.

For instance, using virtual reality-based trainingOpens a new window specifically designed for inclusion can help employees empathize with their marginalized colleagues. Such trainings are created to trigger empathy by making employees and leaders experience how it is to be marginalized, undervalued, and even excluded at the workplace. Similarly, having conversations on the subject, inviting marginalized employees to share their experience, and giving them a safe environment to do so can be a starting point to develop a sensitive workplace culture.

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Working Toward a More Inclusive Workplace of the Future

Cisco was placed second in the list of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2020 publishedOpens a new window by Newsweek, and it has a reputation to live up to. At the same time, in March 2020, the company agreed to pay $4.75 million in response to a U.S. Department of Labor claim that the company had paid white and male employees more than women, black and Latino employees in similar roles.

In the grand scheme of things, there appears to be a huge gap to close in terms of diversity and inclusion and sensitivity to these issues, right from the highest rung to the lowest rung of employees in the workplace. How Cisco’s move to fire employees pans out is yet to be seen, but it seems to have set a precedent for other major organizations to make similar bold moves to demonstrate their stance toward a zero-tolerance workplace.