Employee ignores coworker's reminder of approaching project, then blames coworker when she submits project with missing data: ‘Why didn't you remind me again?’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Apr 13, 2026 4:00 PM EDT

A workplace is nothing like school, and you don't have to remind your coworker when the "homework" is due tomorrow.

When we were in school, we felt a sense of camaraderie and responsibility for our friends. We enjoyed doing homework together and studying for exams in groups. If your best friend were bad at math, you would stay up all night with them to study for the test they were dreading, and they would have done the same thing for you for history, or whatever subject you struggled with.

At the end of the day, it was a common goal for all of you to get through school with the highest GPA, and you were willing to help each other along the way so that everyone would get to the finish line.

In the office, things don't work the same way. Sure, you have a team and coworkers, and it is in the best interest of everyone involved that work gets done as fast and as well as possible. But it is not one's responsibility that their coworker gets their tasks done, and there is not really any sense of camaraderie between everyone in the office.

Adults should be able to get their job done without the help of their coworkers, and each is responsible for their own tasks and deadlines.

Still, the employee below wanted to give their coworker a heads up when they noticed that she still hadn't completed one of the tasks in the project. But the coworker didn't appreciate the help and insisted that she got it covered. So, the employee let it go, and when it was time to submit the project, it was clear that the coworker did not complete the task she insisted she didn't need to be reminded of. 

After handling the aftermath of the missed deadline, this coworker decided to blame the employee for not reminding her of the tasks again. Suddenly, this coworker thinks "teamwork" is all that matters, and is mad that she was basically left behind.

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  • Two coworkers working together on laptop.
    via Getty Images

    Two coworkers working together on laptop.

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

  • AITA for not reminding someone about something important after they brushed me off earlier?

    I'm 25yrs old and have a coworker i work with pretty closely. She's generally nice, but she can be pretty dismissive when she feels confident about something.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • A couple of weeks ago, we were both involved in a project that had a deadline with a specific requirement that's easy to overlook if you're not used to it.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • I've dealt with it before, so I mentioned it to her early on just as a heads-up.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • She kind of waved it off and said she already knew what she was doing and didn't need help with that part.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • It wasn't r de exactly, but it was pretty clear she didn't want input, so I dropped it.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • As the deadline got closer, I noticed she was still missing that requirement. I thought about bringing it up again, but I didn't want to come across as pushy or like I didn't trust her to handle her own work, especially after she had already brushed me off the first time So I didn't say anything.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • When the project was submitted, that exact issue caused it to get sent back for revisions.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • It wasn't a disaster, but it did create extra work and some stress for her. Afterward, she realized I had mentioned it before and asked why I didn't remind her again when I saw it was still missing.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • I explained that I didn't want to overstep after she made it clear she didn't want input.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • She said there's a difference between respecting boundaries and just letting someone mess up when you could easily prevent it, especially since we're supposed to be working as a team.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • now things are a bit awkward, and I'm starting to wonder if I should've just said something again anyway.
    via WellnessLong4826
  • AITA for not reminding her a second time?
    via WellnessLong4826
  • A couple of people sitting at a table with laptop
    via Andrej Lišakov

    A couple of people sitting at a table with laptop.

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

  • dilligaf_84 NTA. Tell her "there's a difference between being confident in your own capabilities and being dismissive of other team members input on group projects. If you want to work as a team, you should behave like a team player." Her oversight and subsequent consequences are not yours to own.
    via dilligaf_84
  • shorthumanfemale NTA. She's embarrassed and that's not on you.
    via shorthumanfemale
  • Kaycapo NTA. She just wants someone to blame that isn't herself.
    via Kaycapo
  • Appropriate-Mall9781 NTA... she said she didn't want your input, so you followed her wishes. 'Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it' and all of that toward her and her attitude. Hopefully she learns from this.
    via Appropriate-Mall9781
  • javel1 NTA. That's not a boundary. She said she knew what she was doing and you trusted that. Not your fault that she embarrassed herself. Part of growing up is knowing you don't know everything.
    via javel1
  • Briiiiiiyonce NTA. You mentioned it and she said she knew what she was doing and didn't need your help. It's a little embarrassing on her part that she wants to pass the blame on to you when you tried to help her and she waved you off. She's an adult who should be able to take accountability for herself.
    via Briiiiiiyonce
  • Grrarrgghh NTA She set her boundary, and you respected it. If she wants to be treated like she doesn't know what she's doing she needs to be sacked.
    via Grrarrgghh
  • KodyManley Definitely NTA. You did her a favor reminding her the first time. Anything after that is her responsibility. You can't be expected to keep an eye on both of your workloads, especially since you're a team. It needs both working parts to function, not one part carrying extra weight.
    via KodyManley

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boss worker deadline employee manager job work coworkers Office project workplace entitled people
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