'Petty? Maybe. Deserved? 100%': Credit-hogging coworker gets what she deserves when a hardworking colleague deliberately sabotages a presentation for the executives

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jul 6, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

There's always one coworker in the workplace who does the work of at least 10 other employees. Somehow, this overworked employee is also underpaid, underappreciated, and given gold stars for being a "team player" whenever there's a company meeting—yet that praise will never translate into a raise, will it? 

Oftentimes, these hard workers will have a whole slew of freeloaders riding their coattails into the employee break room, and most of the time, these workers are too exhausted to fight back against the waves of lazy coworkers. However, in this next story, karma was served up in a sleuthy manner, teaching a freeloading office Karen that she can't just slap her name on executive emails to get a pat on the back for work she had no part of… Not unless she's willing to go down with a sabotaged project. 

Keep scrolling to read the petty justice that unfolded when this hardworking employee found a way to get back at a freeloader, ironically adopting her work ethic to lay a perfectly clever trap. 

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  • O TBUDGET Financial Report
    via Bonkarngraphic

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

  • She wanted credit for my work, so I gave it to her. There's this coworker in my department who's notorious for swooping in last minute and "polishing up" projects just before deadlines and then taking all the
    via DaintyVoid
  • credit when presenting them to leadership, it happened to me one too many times, I did the bulk of a project, research, design, data analysis, the works, She added a few bullet points to the summary
    via DaintyVoid
  • slide and slapped her name on the email to the execs, so for the next big assignment, I let her do it again, i sent her my unfinished draft, saying I was running behind
    via DaintyVoid
  • and needed help She jumped at the chance, i completely stepped back and gave her all the credit even encouraged it, except I knew the data was flawed, On purpose,
    via DaintyVoid
  • Nothing crazy, just off enough to collapse under real scrutiny, she presented it with pride at the all- hands, the department head asked one question she couldn't answer,
    via DaintyVoid
  • Market Share 42% 79% 93% duomus E Temporibus FINANCIAL REPORT
    via Simonkr

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

  • then pulled up the source data and the loopholes became obvious, she stumbled, flustered, ended the meeting early saying she'd circle
    via DaintyVoid
  • back, later that week, I was asked to quietly step in and fix the report. No more stolen credit since then. She still avoids eye contact.
    via DaintyVoid
  • edehlah ⚫ shiesh, hate credit hogger. this was a satisfying read.
    via edehlah
  • Tactical Manatee_ . Brilliant, no better feeling than watching her squirm during that meeting. f
    via Tactical Manatee_
  • pismobob ⚫ There is a reason I hated working for large corporations. Too many asshats willing to sabotage you and try to pass it off as their own. Self employed is so much nicer. Firing clients is a grand feeling.
    via pismobob
  • SunsetWithAngeles ⚫ Petty? Maybe. Deserved? 100%. She wanted the spotlight, you just let her cook with expired ingredients. Now she knows not to steal someone else's recipe.
    via SunsetWithAngeles
  • FreedomPretty6893. I worked with one of them for years before I left my previous employer. If I got teamed up with, let's call her Karen, I would end up doing 80%-90% of the work and she would try taking half the credit. Bravo OP
    via FreedomPretty6893

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deserved boss worker employee manager job presentation work coworkers working ceo employees supervisor workplace company coworker business
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