Employee spreads rumor about coworker, gets annoyed when they don't flag error in major presentation: 'It wasn't my place'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
May 2, 2026 1:15 PM EDT

Don't expect workplace allies if you don't act like one yourself.

It seems like common sense that you have to give a little to get something back, but this is a lesson that many people refuse to learn time and again in many different areas of life. This is especially true of the workplace; a lot of professional success depends on who you know and how you know them, but certain employees are more interested in stoking rivalry than working as a team.

Facing interpersonal conflict in the workplace is annoying, because you have to behave yourself if you want to keep your job. Direct confrontation is not always the best way to solve the matter. That being said, there can sometimes be indirect opportunities to get back at a mean coworker if you happen to be the petty type. It is just about knowing when to intervene and when to keep out of certain situations. If the individual involved has a problem with that, they do not technically have a strong argument that you have done something wrong. 

Advertisement
  • A female employee presenting something on a flipboard to several people sitting in a meeting room
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A female employee presenting something on a flipboard to several people sitting in a meeting room 

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

  • In this story, an employee faced a difficult time at work when one of their colleagues decided to spread a rumor about them to their manager, despite the fact that they had previously had a friendly relationship. This left them not knowing where they stood with this coworker.

    As a result, they decided not to interfere when they accidentally stumbled across a copy of a big presentation that she was due to give, which had a crucial error in it. She got embarrassed by it during the presentation, and dropped hints afterwards that she expected someone to speak up about it beforehand. They weren't sure if they had done the right thing.

  • Am I wrong for not telling my coworker her presentation had a major error before she gave it to the whole department?

    me and my coworker Claire have a complicated history. We were friendly for the first year, then she spread something inaccurate about me to our manager that affected how I was perceived for a while. It was never fully addressed, she never apologized, and we've been politely distant since then.
    via MirthZed
  • Last month Claire was preparing a big quarterly presentation. I happened to see a draft version on a shared drive because it was in the wrong folder. There was a significant error in one of the data slides, the kind that anyone familiar with the numbers would catch immediately. I recognized it and knew it would look bad when she presented to the full department.
    via MirthZed
  • A female employee behind a glass wall presents a meeting to coworkers
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A female employee behind a glass wall presents a meeting to coworkers

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

  • I didnt say anything. I told myself it wasnt my place, that I wasnt supposed to have seen the draft, that maybe she'd catch it herself. She didn't. She presented it, someone flagged the error in front of everyone, and it was a pretty uncomfortable moment for her. Afterwards a mutual colleague told me
    via MirthZed
  • she had mentioned she wished "someone" had caught that before the meeting. I dont know if she meant me specifically but I've been sitting with it since. I don't feel like I did something actively wrong. But I also know I made a choice and the choice I made wasn't the kind one.
    via MirthZed
  • AITA for staying quiet? TL;DR: coworker who previously caused me professional harm gave a presentation with a major error I knew about, I said nothing, it went badly for her
    via MirthZed
  • A female employee presenting in front of a flipboard in a meeting room with several coworkers
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A female employee presenting in front of a flipboard in a meeting room with several coworkers

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

  • MetalSufficient9522 You couldn't have won. You weren't supposed to see the file, right? If you had said something, I am sure that would have also come back on you. If she was real evil she would say someone changed it.
    via MetalSufficient9522
  • Layla_Wilson11894 If someone does me dirty I have no problem letting their own mistakes play out.
    via Layla_Wilson11894
  • roadkill4snacks OP stop blaming yourself. You are being stupid nice. Your guilt seems almost self indulgent. 1. she did not ask for your help 2. you are not professionally responsible for her
    via roadkill4snacks
  • 3. her past behaviour has suggests that she wanted you professionally damaged or removed. You make your self a bigger and easier target by helping her. 4. maybe get some therapy or do some personal reflection, your attachment to the guilt or shame seems disproportionate and odd.
    via roadkill4snacks
  • ApprehensiveCut9809 NTA sometimes you have to let the coyote run into painted tunnel entrance on the side of a cliff.
    via ApprehensiveCut9809
  • Feeling-Invite 7953 NTA. I'm going to call it karma for what she spread about you. Now, it happened to her, and she can't possibly prove you were involved,so just let it go.
    via Feeling-Invite7953
  • Sad-Guarantee-3417 OP stop being a doormat, you are fine.
    via Sad-Guarantee-3417
  • Appropriate-Law5963 Yup,get cornered for seeing something on accident? Press on, she should have asked for someone to proof her work.
    via Appropriate-Law5963
  • No_Arugula4195 She forfeited her right to your good graces. Her loss.
    via No_Arugula4195
  • bridget_cougar As far as I'm concerned, karma did its job here.
    via bridget_cougar
  • Beginning-Potato-617 NTA she has proven she is a back staber... make sure your work can't be tempered with. Also shared drive may log you looked at it and she will say you sabotaged her.... she sounds like the type.
    via Beginning-Potato-617
  • Organic Mix3499 Don't feel guilty about keeping quiet. She's not your friend and should have caught the error herself if she checked her work.
    via OrganicMix3499

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

employee presentation meeting work coworkers workplace
Scroll Down For The Next Article