Cisco workers told to rein in holiday spending

Cisco workers are urged to find ways to celebrate the holidays for free this year as bosses in the Cisco Develpment Organization have axed company-funded shindigs. Valleyway says it was sent an internal memo, which states that: "All CDO teams are encouraged to celebrate the holidays, but try to find creative ways that result in no cost to the company. There should be no Business Group, Technology Group or Business Unit-funded holiday parties." Workers are also "strongly encouraged" to take additional time off between Dec. 22 and Dec. 24 so that workers can "significantly contribute to your business unit cost savings and provides a well-deserved break for you," according to the memo that Valleywag has republished.

The memo also reiterates Cisco's hiring freeze, although college recruiting programs in the United States, India and China remain active. Budgets for project-related costs, including outside services, equipment expenses and capital purchases have been revised, while CDO workers are now required to take training locally.

Cisco is also cutting travel expenses, with the memo stating that "Support for tradeshows [is] in accordance with revised Marketing requirements." 

In a separate story, Cnet reports that Cisco has scaled back plans to exhibit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "This was to have been Cisco's first time as a formal exhibitor," spokesman Jim Brady is quoted as saying. Instead of exhibiting on the show floor, Cisco will rent "more modest space" at the Venetian Hotel.

We hope Cisco workers will be able to find ways to celebrate the holidays without having to spend a boatload of money.

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