Cisco Accused of Fostering Hostile Work Environment for Pro-Palestine Employees

A US government agency has found that Cisco, a major tech firm, likely subjected employees who support Palestine to a 'hostile work environment'.

The determination was made by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in response to a complaint filed by Legal Aid at Work (LAAW) on behalf of 1,700 Cisco employees from Bridge to Humanity (B2H), a group primarily composed of Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim workers.

The employees alleged that they faced vicious and Islamophobic harassment online and outside work after circulating an open letter to the company's leadership, which expressed concerns about Cisco's sales to the Israeli military and its potential use of surveillance and AI technologies to support Israel's actions in Gaza.

Cisco denied the allegations, stating that it thoroughly investigated the concerns and took appropriate action. However, LAAW claimed that the company failed to take timely and reasonable measures to protect the employees from harassment based on their national origin, religion, or association with Muslim and/or Middle Eastern individuals.