Office's problem solver quiet quits after coworker takes credit for their work: 'I just stopped doing extra favors'

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 12, 2026 11:00 AM EST

This office's unofficial fixer is taking a much-needed break, and the office is falling apart without their extra contributions. 

Sometimes you work at a company that wouldn't even be able to function if you stopped giving 150% every day. At these places, oftentimes management is barely existent, and the workers take on extra burdens to keep the place running smoothly. They might feel empowered by this at first, which is understandable. If you're the person who makes everyone smile when you walk in at 9 AM because you're the problem-solver, it's a good feeling. You want to be useful, and you're proud of the work you're doing. 

Workers who aren't rewarded for going above and beyond are certainly going to stagnate, though. They're going to become unhappy with the status quo, and since they aren't management, there's probably no course of action they could take to change things up. 

This person became frustrated with helping out a coworker at an office that seems to operate in this kind of way. When the coworker needed help, he knew exactly who to ask. This person obliged, and noted that they helped out a lot. When the printer needed unjamming, or the spreadsheets weren't spreadsheeting, this person was the go-to. All of that extra work, even if they didn't mind it at the time, is distracting from their actual job. The urge to jump in and be helpful all the time is alluring, but especially in circumstances where you're not being appreciated, you have to learn to resist the temptation and let the office fail without your assistance. For perfectionists of the world, this is hard to do. Watching the office crumple under it's own management without you stepping in to save the day can be intense. But just think about all of the actual work that you'll be doing instead of doing random office tasks. You're investing in yourself, since your workplace clearly isn't investing in enough people to have the office run properly. 

I hope the boss sees it that way, too! I worry for this person that they'll be blamed by management instead. After all, they're showing the cracks in the day-to-day management of the company, which some bosses would rather turn a blind eye to. This person shouldn't just quiet quit — they should actually quit, after finding a better-paying job where they're respected by all their coworkers, and where they're not unjamming the printer every day just because no one else will do it. 

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  • 01

    'Am I the j**k for quietly stopping helping my coworker after he kept taking credit for it?'

    Woman in blue shirt hold coffee cup and looks upset at man sitting on desk across from her in office setting
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • 02
    I work in a small office and for the past year I've been the unofficial "fixer" for everything slightly technical. Printer jam, spreadsheet formula, weird email issue, I'd get a message and help out. I didn't mind at first, it felt normal and kinda nice to be useful.
    via u/navrith_22
  • 03
    Over time I noticed something off. In meetings my coworker would mention how "he solved" issues that I clearly helped with. Not in a loud braggy way, more like slipping it into conversation. At first I thought I was being sensitive, but it kept
    via u/navrith_22
  • 04
    happening. Even my manager once thanked him for streamlining something I had spent my lunch break fixing. So I stopped. I didn't announce it, didn't make a scene. When he messaged me, I'd say I was busy or suggest he
    via u/navrith_22
  • 05
    ask IT. Suddenly things. piled up for him and he started missing small deadlines. Last week he asked me why I've been "so distant" and said I was putting the team in a bad spot.
    via u/navrith_22
  • 06
    Now I'm being told I should have just talked it out instead of pulling back support. Maybe that's true, but part of me feels like I was just done being invisible labor. I didn't sabotage anything, I just stopped doing extra favors. Still, the tension is
    via u/navrith_22
  • 07
    real and a few coworkers act like I'm being petty. Am I actually the jerk here?
    via u/navrith_22
  • 08
    Adelucas It's a simple case of quiet quitting. You do your job, and don't do anything else. It's their problem not yours.
    via u/navrith_22
  • 09
    _gadget_... NTJ You stopped helping one particular individual. An individual who wasn't grateful enough to thank you and give you credit for the effort. It doesn't sound like
    via u/navrith_22
  • 10
    any of those things were part of your job, instead they were favors. He missed deadlines because he wasn't able to fix things without your help, and apparently didn't communicate
    via u/navrith_22
  • 11
    to your boss that technical difficulties were putting him behind. He easily could have done that, but he also would have had to admit that he had
    via u/navrith_22
  • 12
    taken credit for doing so in the past and burned a bridge in doing so. I'm not sure who is telling you that you should have continued to help him. Boss vs.
    via u/navrith_22
  • 13
    coworkers require a different response. In the spirit of teamwork it's nice to help, but the recipient needs to be grateful. If they are not, and take credit for it it's absolutely fair to stop and let them
    via u/navrith_22
  • 14
    sink. It's even fair to tell your boss that since they always took credit for the fix you figured they could handle it if you were not available.
    via u/navrith_22
  • 15
    One man and 2 workers dressed in blue gather around computer monitor
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

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workplace-stories coworkers petty
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