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It is a much bigger deal if a VP or a CEO resigns over something than if a janitor does, even if they do so for the same reason.

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I don't think this makes sense, while the C-level exec may have a lot more to lose measured on an absolute scale, the quality of their life will not change significantly following their resignation. However, the janitor potentially has his or her entire livelihood at stake and will likely struggle to support themselves until they manage to find another job.

For this reason, I think if the lower-level staff at your company are quitting over moral/ethical issues, you probably have much worse problems than if your highly-valued employees are leaving.

However, I'd imagine this particular employee has a lot more in common with the VP than the janitor and I don't imagine he will have any trouble finding new employment following this.

My claim is not about what makes sense. My claim is about actual reality. People in general care more when powerful employees resign. It would be a huge deal if Sundar resigned over this, or Page. It is not a big deal that this rank and file research scientist resigned. I could propose a few hypotheses as to why, but I'm guessing you're capable of coming up with your own.

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