The Domino (Pizza) Effect

A coworker walks into the break room with a big smile.

Leaving Coworker: “Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know, I’ve put in my two weeks!”

Half the office immediately cheers, offers hugs, and congratulates her.

Coworker #1: “That’s amazing! New job?”

Leaving Coworker: “Yep, starting next month.”

Coworker #2: “We’ll miss you, but I’m so happy for you.”

Then the boss appears in the doorway, arms crossed, face like thunder.

Boss: “Selfish. That’s what this is. Selfish and throwing the rest of us under the bus.”

The room goes quiet.

Coworker #3: “I don’t think that’s fair. Two weeks’ notice is enough.”

Coworker #1: “What bus? We’ll be fine. You’re going to replace her, right?”

Coworker #2: “…right?”

Boss: *Ignoring us, continuing his rant.* “We’ve all worked hard to build this team, and you’re walking away. What’s the other job offering that we can’t?”

Leaving Coworker: “Paying me what I’m worth.”

Boss: “Oh, come on. What you make here is more than fair!”

Leaving Coworker: “Specifically? Thirty percent more than I make here. Oh, and by the way—” *Turns to the rest of the office.* “—they’re hiring!”

The room bursts into muffled laughter while the boss stares, pale. This might have been a joke or throwaway comment elsewhere, but our company uses very niche technology and coding, so another company hiring in the same field, with better pay, is a genuine threat to a management that likes the status quo.

Within a week, “morale boosters” start showing up, pizza parties (yes, really), a box of donuts, vague promises of “big things” in the next performance reviews. But when it becomes clear there are no raises, half the office follows our coworker’s lead and leaves within six months.

A year later, I’m in a local bar and run into the boss. We do a bit of small talk before they lean in.

Boss: “You know, I still don’t understand why everyone left so fast. I don’t know what I could have done to make them stay…”