30-year-old man takes credit for work of 25-year-old female colleague in client meeting, flips out when she calls him out on it: 'Everyone knew it was mine'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jul 25, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

Many people underestimate just how frustrating it is to not get the credit that you deserve until it happens to them. Unfortunately, it is a common phenomenon in the workplace, and a lot of employees end up experiencing it at one point or another. There are just too many individuals who enjoy reaping the rewards of hard work without actually doing it, and they find it easy to pick out victims whose effort they will try to pass off as their own.

It is a difficult situation to address, as more often than not, these kinds of coworkers have strategies in place to make it difficult to call them out in a way that is going to be successful. Awkward as it can be, sometimes public confrontation feels like the only way. Just because it isn't unusual for people to pass off the work of others as their own doesn't mean that it should be accepted.

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  • This is how one woman felt when she reached the end of her patience with an older, male coworker taking credit for the work of others. When he tried to act like he had been an instrumental part of a project she had done most of the work on in a client meeting, she couldn't help but call him out on it.

    Her colleague was not happy and claimed that if she had an issue, she should have discussed it privately. She wanted to know if she had gone too far.

  • 01

    AITA for calling out my coworker during a client meeting for taking credit for MY work (again)?

    I'm so sick of being polite about this, so here goes. I (25F) work in a small marketing team where collaboration is everything, and I recently led this campaign that honestly took a lot out of me. I built the concept, handled the client back-and-forth, stayed up late tweaking deliverables, all of it. Everyone knew it was mine. Now enter "T" (30M), my coworker who's mastered the art of corporate sneakiness. The type who never misses a chance to attach himself to something successful, even if he d
    via briiancarvajal
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10533863168
    via Pablo Merchán Montes (Unsplash+)

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

  • 03
    This time, I was presenting my slides to the client, and guess what? T cuts in at the end and literally says, "We're glad you liked it, this was one of my favorite things to develop." MY. FAVORITE. THING. TO. DEVELOP. Before I could even stop myself, I said right in front of the client and the whole team "Oh? That's funny, because I don't remember you being part of the 2AM revision emails or the three rounds of copy edits." It was quiet for like 5 whole seconds. My manager blinked. The client aw
    via briiancarvajal
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10533863424
    via Pablo Merchán Montes (Unsplash+)

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

  • 05

    Outsiders understood her point of view, although some thought she should have approached things differently.

    NTA f Adorable-Event-2752 that Chad... I would seriously reconsider working with a 'team' like that. Hopefully he will crash and burn soon!
    via Adorable-Event-2752
  • 06
    yazminglimmer nahhh she did what needed to be DONE. ppl always say "bring it up in private" so they can ignore u in peace
    via yazminglimmer
  • 07
    petalyazmin honestly you didn't make him look unprofessional he was unprofessional, you just turned the lights on
    via petalyazmin
  • 08
    CherryBich NTA. If he wanted professionalism, he should've tried not pretending he pulled all-nighters on your campaign.
    via CherryBich
  • 09
    kathrynneyom69 He can't cry "unprofessional" after straight-up cosplaying as part of the project. Play stupid games, win public callouts. Honestly, you just gave him a free lesson in consequences very on-brand for a team leader
    via kathrynneyom69
  • 10
    indi50 to T: "you were unprofessional and you were trying to take credit for my work. Don't do it again and I won't have to call you out about it again." You're probably being told you're not a team player if you ask for credit because you're a young woman. I'm not sure there's much you can do about it except keep piping up. Maybe something like, "I'm happy to be a team player as long as credit is given where it's due. I won't accept other people getting credit for my work. Why aren't they being
    via indi50
  • 11
    SeeHearSpeako NTA. Keep your foot on his neck. But do it in corporate language. Next time he does that say "I think you are confusing this with a different project, this was a solo effort." Or "This project consisted of X,Y and Z on the team." A great passive aggressive one is "Thank you so much for complimenting MY work!"
    via SeeHearSpeak0
  • 12
    Right-Economics-1406 This is the way in the corporate world.
    via Right-Economics-1406
  • 13
    GreenStuffGrows NTA except for it being in front of the client, but where has your weak- ssed manager been all this time? You have a manager problem
    via GreenStuffGrows
  • 14
    Secret_Double_9239 NTA he made himself look like an idiot in front of the client by trying to claim your work. Maybe raise the issue with your manager and tell them that it's unprofessional and it undermines everyone else and if they see no issue with it then maybe you'll just do what T doesn't which is nothing and then slap your name on other people's work.
    via Secret_Double_9239
  • 15
    QfromP NTA, but you handled it wrong. You aired your company's dirty laundry in front of a client. That's going to bite you in the What you should have done is think of some tiny inconsequential part of the project after T professed: "This was one of my favorite things to develop." And say something like: "Oh yes! When Todd made the suggestion to include vanilla coffee creamer, it was incredibly helpful. It really elevated Jane and I's entire catering menu." Basically do not contradict T. Praise
    via QfromP
  • 16
    NTA. Cool_Relative7359 "Going forward, that's how I will react when you try to take credit you aren't due. Everyone in the team knows what you do and how, and honestly, it's not okay and I'm not letting it slide anymore. We can talk to HR about it as a team if you think I'm being unfair about you taking undeserved credit. We all have the documentation of what we did for each project".
    via Cool_Relative7359
  • 17
    NTA u2125mike2124 He deserves no courtesy of bringing it up in private when everything he's doing is in public and in front of the client.
    via u2125mike2124
  • 18
    Acatinmylap ESH. Him for stealing credit, you for making THE COMPANY (not just T) look bad in font of the client. Infighting is never a good look.
    via Acatinmylap
  • 19
    JosKarith "If I made you look unprofessional it was because you were being unprofessional. Just so we understand each other if you try to claim credit for work you haven't done I'm calling you out. Every Single Time. And I'm saving my audit logs to prove to HR what you're doing. Now back off and maybe, just maybe we can have a working relationship. BTW this message is also in said saved logs. Just so there's no misunderstandings."
    via JosKarith
  • 20
    Fancy-Repair-2893 Nta, the real question is how everyone else handles it and the aftermath if there is any.
    via Fancy-Repair-2893
  • 21
    Next-Drummer-9280 saying I made him look unprofessional Nuh-uh. HE made him look unprofessional. NTA
    via Next-Drummer-9280

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