Cisco casualties join the non-profit sector

No, not at Lucent or Nortel...

Cisco has been letting laid-off tech workers use their skills in the charity sector in lieu of severance pay. Cisco laid off 6,000 workers in April, but 80 of them are now at work in the community on the Cisco Community Fellowship Program. They earn a third of their old salary, but retain their stock options and benefits. They are also in a good position to rejoin Cisco if the company starts hiring again. Around 40 per cent of participants are working in and around San Francisco, with the remainder scattered across the country.