Basic Trope: Someone gets caught up in some kind of scandal and ends up leaving their job over it.
- Straight: Bob the CEO of MegaCorp gets involved in a scandal involving White-Collar Crime. In the midst of the investigation (or before one can even begin), he steps down from his position as CEO and "retires."
- Exaggerated: Not only does Bob "retire," he leaves the country and changes his name, starts coloring his hair and wearing colored contacts, and cuts ties with all of his friends and relatives. And he may or may not have faked his own death.
- Downplayed: Bob is suspected to be involved in the crime, but whether or not he played a part was unproven. However, the fact that he resigns makes people think that he did in fact know about it, and public opinion of him falters.
- Bob steps down as CEO due to numerous scandals in his company that he had no idea of at the time — even though he wasn't involved in any of them — because he feels guilty for running a company that is so utterly corrupt.
- Justified:
- Bob recognizes that even if the rumors aren't true, he's already Convicted by Public Opinion, and it's best to lay low.
- All of Bob's employees have turned against him, and he knows better than to fight a losing battle.
- Bob is embarrassed that he got caught.
- Bob doesn't want to drag his family into the drama with him.
- Bob knows that he'll more or less get away with his wrongdoing, because he'll give himself a big "severance bonus."
- Inverted:
- Subverted:
- Bob is retiring because of his failing health.
- Bob is unhappy with his job, and is leaving to "find himself."
- Bob doesn't so much "step down" from his position as CEO as commit suicide.
- Bob is innocent, but he knew that sooner or later he would be accused, so he stepped down in advance.
- Double Subverted:
- He never had health problems before...but there are allegations of him embezzling millions of dollars and doing "things" with underage girls.
- The timing of his leaving coincides with serious allegations against him
- His suicide comes in the midst of a scandal.
- Bob was innocent of that scandal. The much bigger scandal that wasn't discovered until now, however, was all his doing.
- Parodied: Bob lives alone on Farside Island, and this is why.
- Zig-Zagged: ???
- Averted:
- Bob is not the subject of allegations or rumors of any kind of wrongdoing.
- Bob is not in a position of power; he's a rank-and-file Office Drone with a Soul-Crushing Desk Job.
- Enforced: A social commentary on how the rich and powerful get away with things the rest of us do not.
- Lampshaded: "Due to serious accusations brought up against me, I will be resigning my position, effective tomorrow."
- Invoked: Bob is caught embezzling millions of dollars from Trope Co., Inc.
- Exploited: Bob is trying to avoid Prison, so he steps down as CEO, then fakes his own death.
- Defied: Bob stays on as CEO for as long as he can. Even as he is being dragged away in handcuffs and read his rights.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
- Deconstructed: Bob's wife and family commit suicide due to guilt by association associated with his crimes.
