When one person burns out and leaves, others follow.
This cascade is predictable and preventable.
The Cascade Timeline
Week 0: Jane resigns (burnout after 18 months)
Week 2–3: Jane's workload redistributes to team
- Her closest colleagues inherit 20% more work
- Stress spikes across team
- Quiet job searching begins
Month 2: First colleague follows
- Cites "workload" or "role change"
- Really: burned out from Jane's departure
Month 3–4: Second colleague leaves
- Another 20% workload hit
- Remaining team overwhelmed
- More active job searching
Month 6+: New hires onboarding into chaos
- They burn out faster
- Cycle repeats
The Cost of One Resignation
Direct cost (replacement, training, lost productivity): $110,000 Cascade cost (2–3 additional departures × $110K): $220K–330K Team disruption cost (6+ months of degraded productivity): $100K–200K
Total cost of one "initial" resignation: $430K–640K
How Prevention Changes the Equation
Cost to prevent Jane's resignation in Week 3: $2,000–5,000
- Coaching
- Workload adjustment
- Support services
Value created:
- Jane stays (prevents $330K cascade)
- Team morale remains stable (prevents $100K+ disruption)
- Total value: $430K+ saved for $4K invested
ROI on prevention: 100:1 or higher
This is why preventing one burnout resignation pays for your entire annual wellness program.
What to Tell Your CFO
"One resignation isn't one resignation. It's typically 3–4 departures. Preventing one through early intervention saves $430K–640K. Our wellness program can prevent 75–90 annually. That's $32M–57M in value created for a $2.5M investment."
That math is compelling.
Ready to prevent resignation cascades before they start? Learn about early intervention →