Code of Business Conduct
I Responsibly and Accurately Manage Cisco Finances
As a Cisco employee, we all have an obligation to promote integrity throughout the organization, with responsibilities to stakeholders inside and outside of Cisco. This includes being aware of and adhering to internal financial and accounting policies. The timely, accurate handling and reporting of financial information is not only required by law, but it is also at the core of our commitment to do business honestly and ethically.
I don’t work directly with financial data or activities, so does this apply to me? Yes.
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Responsibly and Accurately Manage Cisco Finances.
All Cisco employees are personally responsible for any company-related funds that they control. Company funds must only be used for Cisco business purposes. Every employee must ensure we receive good value and maintain accurate and timely records for each expense. This includes anything purchased from third parties. It is a violation of the COBC to hide, falsify, misrepresent or alter documents or data regarding the use of Cisco funds.
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Follow Cisco’s expense reporting policies.
Cisco employees are required to comply with Cisco's travel and expense reporting policies. In particular, employees must submit all business expenses in approved tools (such as iExpenses) and accurately categorize expenses. Failing to report a transaction, or the mischaracterization of a transaction or creation of false or inaccurate documentation, is strictly prohibited.
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Accurately Record All Sales Transactions.
The Global Bookings Policy defines the criteria for sales transactions to be recorded as booked. Exceptions to and deviations from this or other revenue recognition controls are highly restricted and must be approved by the appropriate Cisco governing body. Violations of these controls such as unauthorized side commitments or "soft" bookings are a serious matter.
Employees with Financial Reporting Responsibilities.
In addition to the COBC, our CEO, CFO and all Finance Department employees have special obligations and are bound by the Cisco Financial Officer Code of Ethics. This governing Code includes providing information that is accurate, complete, objective, relevant and understandable. These individuals must reinforce our company's commitment to the fair and timely reporting of Cisco's financial results and condition.
A violation, including failure to report potential violations, of the Financial Officer Code of Ethics will be viewed as a severe disciplinary matter and may result in personnel action, including termination of employment. If you believe that a violation has occurred, please contact Cisco Legal, the Ethics Office, or the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. As with the COBC, it is against Cisco policy to retaliate against an employee for good-faith reporting of any potential or actual Code violations.
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What If...
What If...
What If...
What if my manager is exerting pressure to “make the numbers work?”
Your responsibility is to be honest and accurate. If you feel pressured to do otherwise, contact the Ethics Office, Legal or Human Resources. You may also contact the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. If you feel uncomfortable going through internal channels, you can call the multilingual Cisco Ethics Line anytime, night or day, worldwide.
What if I am asked to book a deal without a purchase order?
All deals must be accompanied by a purchase order from a customer. These sales records ensure that our finances are accurate and protect the company from fraud. Refer to the Global Bookings Policy for the required elements of a purchase order.
What if I am asked to create a deal to sell a product or service to a reseller who I know is not authorized to receive it, or for purposes other than for which a specific discount was given for competitive reasons?
This could result in product diversion to the “grey market” causing damage to Cisco's legitimate resellers and possible service abuse. If you believe that product/service is being sold outside the approved deal, contact Brand Protection and the Ethics Office.
What if I am asked to structure a deal where the customer can choose only high discounted products?
Such a situation is called “cherry picking” and is not allowed. This can also result in discount leakage and potential product diversion. Refer to your Finance controller or the Ethics Office if you believe you are being asked to structure a deal in this way.
Have another question? Post it on the Ethics Discussion Forum or contact the Ethics Office for assistance.
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Ask / Report
Ask / Report
Ask / Report
E-mail
- Ethics Office: ethics@cisco.com or COBC@cisco.com
- Audit Committee of the Board of Directors: auditcommittee@external.cisco.com
Online
- Anonymous Web Form
- Ethics Disclosure Tools - Gifts, Entertainment or an Outside Business Interest
- A secure, internal online case reporting/management tool (called CITE)
Phone
The multi-lingual Cisco Ethics Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, worldwide, with country-based toll-free phone numbers. The Ethics Line is staffed by a leading third-party reporting service. You have the option to remain anonymous* when you call; however, the investigation may be hindered if the investigator is unable to contact you for further information.
*Please note: Some countries do not allow such concerns to be reported anonymously.
Regular Mail
Questions and concerns regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters (or other related issues) can be submitted — confidentially or anonymously — to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. at the following private mailbox (PMB):
Cisco Systems, Audit Committee
105 Serra Way, PMB #112, Milpitas, CA 95035