‘Something inside me just cracked’: Employee loses it when their coworker yet again volunteers them to complete workplace tasks without their consent

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Dec 4, 2025 9:00 PM EST

The last thing anyone in a work setting wants is to be volunteered to complete tasks they are not interested in, nor are they paid extra to do. A wise person once said, "Act your wage," and we haven't forgotten that mantra. Why should we go above and beyond for a company that believes its employees are worth a pay raise?

Then, there are those colleagues who try to push these additional duties onto you so they don't have to complete them. That's our favorite type of bad employee: they will never admit that they are lazy and incorrect in their ways, and instead try to make everyone else seem like the bad guy and themselves a victim.

If you've ever had a colleague who volunteers you for things without asking, then the story below might bring up some old, negative feelings. The colleague in question repeatedly volunteers this employee for small tasks at first, but then starts offering their auditing services (even though they already stay late in the office to complete their original taskload). So, obviously, the employee would be fed up at some point. We're just surprised it took them this long to put their foot down—commenters are feeling similarly. Scroll to read.

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  • 01
    a male and female employee argue at the office in front of a colleague
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • 02

    "AITA for snapping at my coworker after she kept volunteering me for tasks without asking me"

    So I work in a medium sized office and we have this weekly planning meeting that already drags way too long
    via sofi_065
  • 03
    For the last couple of months one coworker who I will call Dani keeps jumping in and saying things like oh she can take that or I think she has time for this when managers ask who can handle some extra task.
    via sofi_065
  • 04
    She never checks with me first. She just talks right over me like Im a checkbox on her clipboard.
    via sofi_065
  • 05
    At first it was small stuff and I tried to brush it off because maybe she thought she was helping or whatever.
    via sofi_065
  • 06
    But then she started doing it for bigger projects that require tons of extra hours and I was drowning.
    via sofi_065
  • 07
    One time my manager even said are you sure you want to take all that and Dani answered for me yes she loves this stuff.
    via sofi_065
  • 08
    Meanwhile I was sitting there shaking my head and no one saw me. I talked to her privately once and she acted shocked saying she was only trying to make me look proactive and that I should be grateful someone is hyping me up.
    via sofi_065
  • 09
    Last week she did it again and I had already pulled two late nights. Manager asked who could lead a rush audit and Dani said my name before I even opened my mouth.
    via sofi_065
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    a man sitting in front of a laptop computer at night in the office
    via Ahmet Kurt For Unsplash+

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

  • 11
    Something inside me just cracked. I said stop volunteering me for things I didnt agree to.
    via sofi_065
  • 12
    My voice came out way louder than I intended and the room went super quiet. Dani looked like a kicked puppy and later told people I yelled at her in front of the whole team and embarrassed her.
    via sofi_065
  • 13
    Some coworkers say I should have talked to her again in private and that I went too far.
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  • 14
    Others said they were relieved someone finally said something. Now I feel weird about the whole thing and Im not sure if I crossed a line.
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  • 15
    AITA
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  • 16
    pixie-ann NTJ your manager should have a policy that nobody can "volunteer" someone else for extra work. Why isn't Dani nominating herself for these jobs? Does she think you don't have enough to do? Does she have enough to do? Your manager should have nipped this bad habit of Dani's in the bud well before now.
    via pixie-ann
  • 17
    pwolf1111 NTA she was volunteering you so no one asked her. She is actually a frenemy, a mean girl. You tried nice. Now everyone knows. She never cared about embarrassing you. You did nothing wrong. Don't let her play the victim. If anyone says anything to you just tell them you don't know why she wasn't expecting you to call her out after you already asked her nicely to stop.
    via pwolf1111
  • 18
    bopperbopper Talk to your manager and say you don't know why but Dani often volunteers you for things without asking you... you're guessing that it makes her look good in that she's solving the problem, but doesn't actually have to do the work. You're sorry that you kind of barked that out at the meeting, but you've kinda had it with Dani's behavior given that you've asked her privately not to do this anymore.
    via bopperbopper
  • 19
    MerlinSmurf Play stupid games win stupid prizes. NTA.
    via MerlinSmurf
  • 20
    One-Plantain-9454 You already told her to stop. She didn't listen. she played herself. Why doesn't she volunteer herself for these things? NTA.
    via One-Plantain-9454
  • 21
    Boston Red Sox2024 Let people talk, she had zero right to volunteer or talk over you. So she gets what she deserved. You had spoken to her previously, she didn't listen, this time she heard you. Hold your head high & also report this to HR so it's on your file before she does and tries to escalate things.
    via BostonRedSox2024
  • 22
    gemmygem86 Nope and your manager should have shut that down long ago
    via gemmygem86
  • 23
    saatinlush NTA. She wasn't "hyping you up," she was treating you like free labor. You already tried the polite route public problem, public correction.
    via saatinlush

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terrible coworkers workplace-stories work coworkers askreddit reddit story entitled people karma workplace reddit thread entitled people
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