Employee attempts to sabotage coworker's promotion by taking important files from their desk, coworker finds out, secretly records him in the act to show HR: 'I got proof'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Feb 11, 2025 10:00 AM EST

When two employees are up for the same promotion, it is only natural that a sense of competition and even jealousy would arise between the two. It is obviously not the best atmosphere to have in an office, and surely we could all agree it would have been better if coworkers could be happy for each other's wins, but realistically, that is not the case.

Usually, when two employees start competing for a promotion that could only be given to one of them, each tries to prove they are the better option. It could be by working overtime, completing more tasks, or maybe by taking the boss out to lunch. There are countless ways to win this game fair and square.

However, when coworkers start to get petty, or even try to sabotage each other's chances, things tend to get ugly, not to mention completely pointless. It is one thing to prove your worth by stepping up your game, but doing so by stepping over others usually ends up backfiring altogether.

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  • That is what happened between the coworkers in the story down below. The two were up for the same promotion, which made one decide to sabotage the other's chance by stealing files directly from their desk. It wasn't long before the other employee figured out what was going on, and they decided to catch their coworker in the act.

    This led to quite a dispute at the office, so keep scrolling to read the full story…

  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10466170624
    via Dragos Condrea

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    "AITAH secretly recording my coworker sabotaging me and now everyone is mad at me for exposing them"

    Alright, I need some perspective because this whole situation has spiraled out of control, and somehow I am the bad guy.
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 03
    I work in a small office where most people are fine except for this one guy, Brad. Brad is that coworker. He is always loud, always knows better, and loves throwing others
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 04
    under the bus to make himself look good. We are both up for the same promotion, which would be fine, except he has been getting shady about it.
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 05
    For weeks, I have been noticing that things on my desk go missing. Important files, client notes, even random office supplies. At first, I thought I was just being forgetful, but then
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 06
    another coworker casually mentioned that Brad has been hanging around my desk when I am not there. Then, last week, I overheard him joking in the break room
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 07
    about "creating opportunities" for himself. That was the final straw. I decided I needed to know for sure. I set up my phone to record while I went to lunch.
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 08
    When I reviewed the footage, there was Brad, digging through my desk, taking one of my files, and snapping pictures of it with his phone. I did confront him directly. Showing him the video, and
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 09
    then tried to see what he had to say. He basically incriminated himself, and talked about how he did not like me. I gladly recorded all of this, and, I sent the footage to HR, thinking they
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 10
    would deal with it quietly. HR did handle it, but now everyone in the office knows, and somehow I am the one people are mad at. Some of my coworkers are saying I invaded Brad's privacy and
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 11
    should have talked to him instead of going to HR. Brad got written up, lost any chance of the promotion, and had to apologize to me. But now he is playing the victim,
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 12
    telling everyone I "set him up" and saying that recording him was underhanded. Some people are even siding with him, claiming I made the office environment toxic by exposing him.
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 13
    Invoice wane
    via AndreyPopov

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 14
    I just do not get it. Brad was sabotaging me and risking my career, and I gave HR the proof they needed to stop him. I did not set him up. I caught him doing something
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 15
    he should not have been doing in the first place. Am I seriously in the wrong here? All I wanted was to stop someone from swing me over. It feels like people
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 16
    are mad at me just because I handled the situation instead of letting him get away with it. What else was I supposed to do?
    via Due-Introduction-900
  • 17
    MossMyHeart NTA and you need to go back to HR and let them know that Brad is creating a toxic work environment by spreading a false narrative in retaliation.
    via MossMyHeart
  • 18
    SkinnyPig45 Nta. You did the absolute right thing
    via SkinnyPig45
  • 19
    HiddenAr nist NTA. Strange that people are charmed by him, but it wouldn't be the first time that happens. Probably they are like him, creating "opportunities" out of mischief, and didn't like that their equal was caught red handed.... Watch out for them!
    via HiddenAr**nist
  • 20
    Artistic-Giraffe-866 This is a case of group think - it is totally weird but everyone is dominated by his personality - get that promotion and move on - hopefully you will be able to manage Brad out at some
    via Artistic-Giraffe-866
  • 21
    - stage and anyone else who was on his side !! Know you are absolutely right and I would be going back to HR with some instances of harassment because Brad should have been sacked
    via Artistic-Giraffe-866
  • 22
    stroppo NTA at all. Sounds like you have some lousy coworkers. It was one of them who let slip about Brad's activities, so it sounds like the office atmosphere is already
    via stroppo
  • 23
    toxic. You were hardly "invading Brad's privacy"; he was the one going thru your desk! Maybe talk to your supervisor about it. HR doesn't act unless it's a legitimate problem.
    via stroppo
  • 24
    Hitthereset Go back to HR and let them know what's going on and start looking for new jobs just in case.
    via Hitthereset

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terrible coworkers boss aita workplace-stories employee fired hr manager stealing job tales-from-the-workplace coworkers reddit story workplace Reddit company
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