A Debate about How Quitting Is Contagious

Catalyst Center for Work Innovation: The Debate · Oct 7, 2026 · 21m

This research examines turnover contagion, a sociological phenomenon where an individual's choice to resign spreads through a workplace by influencing coworkers to consider quitting as well. It explains that this cascading effect is heavily driven by job embeddedness, meaning that tightly connected employees with strong workplace and community ties are far less susceptible to leaving. To combat these destructive loops, the literature highlights evidence-based interventions such as cohort-based onboarding, team-level diagnostics, and deliberate community-building initiatives. Furthermore, the…