Last week, the New York Times published an article about what the writer dubbed “quitagion,” the phenomenon of quits spreading within a single workplace as one person’s departure inspires others to leave, too.

It’s a real phenomenon — when your coworker decides that they’ve had enough, it can lead you to consider whether you, too, should quit. Unfortunately, the article opens as follows:

Something infectious is spreading through the work force. Its symptoms present in a spate of two-week notices. Its transmission is visible in real time. And few bosses seem to know how to inoculate their staff against this quitagion.