Employee keeps stealing coworker's ideas, then embarrasses herself on camera after director asks her to give presentation: 'Let's just say, credit is no longer an issue'

In every office, there's a "Jess."

The coworker who doesn't speak up during brainstorming sessions but somehow ends up being the one congratulated afterward. For months, one marketing employee watched as her colleague quietly claimed credit for her ideas, nodding along in meetings only to later say, "Yeah, like I told her earlier…"

When a major client project landed on their desks, poetic justice practically wrote itself. The employee uploaded her work to the shared drive, labeled it vaguely, and waited. Predictably, Jess swooped in and submitted it as her own.

But there was a catch, she hadn't actually read it. 

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  • So, when their director asked her to present it, she was forced to wing it. Ten minutes later, she’d butchered the client’s name, fumbled through data she didn’t understand, and sat sweating under the fluorescent lights as silence filled the virtual room.

    Her colleague finally stepped in—gracefully, of course—to clarify a few points. The director quickly connected the dots.

    Now, Jess is sulking, claiming she was “set up.” Maybe she was. Or maybe teamwork just works better when everyone actually does their own work.

  • Cheezburger Image 10567856896
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.


     

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  • "My coworker keeps taking credit for my work, so I let her “present” a project she didn’t understand."

    I (29F) work in a marketing firm where teamwork is everything. My coworker "Jess" (32F) has made a habit of stealing credit for ideas during meetings.
    via Difficult_Art9717
  • She'll sit silently while I pitch, then later say things like, "Yeah, like I told OP earlier, we should go with that angle!" And everyone nods like it was her idea.
    via Difficult_Art9717
  • I confronted her once, she brushed it off: "Relax, we're a team." So, when a big project came in, I made sure everything was saved under a shared drive but labeled vaguely. She submitted it to our director before I could.
    via Difficult_Art9717
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  • He asked her to present it during the meeting. She accepted immediately. The thing is, she hadn't actually read through the latest data or creative changes.
    via Difficult_Art9717
  • Watching her stumble through a 10-minute PowerPoint on camera, clearly not understanding what she was talking about, was poetic justice. She even mispronounced the client's name.
    via Difficult_Art9717
  • 4
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.


     

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  • Our director paused and asked, "Jess, did you prepare this?" She froze. I said calmly, "I can clarify if needed, I worked on that section." Let's just say, credit is no longer an issue.
    via Difficult_Art9717
  • Now she's sulking, saying I "set her up." AITA?
    via Difficult_Art9717
  • Suspicious-Feed4335 NTA. You didn't set her up, you just let the trap she built for you snap shut on her instead. Classic workplace karma, chef's kiss
    via d
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  • Relevant-Broccoli-77 Stunning example of karma. Jess got a first hand experience of fk around and find out Imao
    via d
  • ImpossibleWasabi412 "Relax Jess, we are a team"
    via d
  • Caterpillar No6795 I did something similar. I worked on a project with a coworker. He never did anything always said he was to busy with his other project (thr person working on that with him was my friend and he said the same to her). But when it came time to present results the managers where all like coworker should present. Thats fine. After presenting it twice. Not answering questions correctly either time (i was there and politely spoke up and corrected him) he asked me to take over presen
    via d
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  • Alarmed Dingo_3266 Nope.
    via d
  • Individual_You_6586 You didn't set her up. You didn't even hand her the rope that she hanged herself in, she went and stole it because she was so eager to be seen. Just tell her <<relax, we're a team>> and giggle!
    via d

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terrible coworkers boss credit remote work employee presentation malicious compliance meeting petty revenge Office entitled people karma
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