Employee gets written up by his manager after he stops doing his lazy coworker’s job: ‘He said I "used to be more helpful" and that my "energy has changed." He never mentioned the coworker once’

Author image for Olivia Arocena
Olivia Arocena • Writer and Editor
Sep 28, 2026 7:15 AM EDT

Learning not to make this mistake should be on the first page of the work manual

We should always be as proactive as we can be at work, especially when we are just beginning to learn the task, but never to the extent of doing someone else's job. This is what happened to the employee in this story, and I think it's also what got him into a very difficult situation.

Ineffective managers base their opinions on vibes, and I'd say even effective managers do that sometimes; after all, they are only human (even if they don't appear human at all). And if you used to give a really friendly, cooperative, proactive vibe before (because you were doing two people's worth of work), they are going to notice the energy shift when that's gone.

In my experience, it can be hard to explain to management that you didn't get less cooperative; you just can't keep working twice as hard.

These situations are messy and hard to explain. After all, they're often mixed with plenty of manipulation and blurred lines. People who take advantage of you don't do it upfront; they hide their tracks, so good luck explaining that to management without sounding bitter and uncooperative.

I hate that the only solution people on the internet offer for every work problem is: get another one. Of course, that's not as easy as they make it seem. In this economy? We have to find ways of solving issues first. At least we should try.

If I were him, I would politely say (and prove) that I was doing double the work, and ask whether my compensation should change so I can go back to doing that. I have a feeling management would tell me to stick to my 'low energy'.

This is why we should never normalize doing so much! Managers get too used to it.

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  • Cheezburger Image 10666457856
    via Vitaly Gariev

    What does "negative attitude" mean?

  • I got written up for "negative attitude" after I stopped doing my lazy coworker's job for him

    I've been on this team for two years. For the last eight months, I've been quietly picking up the slack for a coworker who spends most of his day on his phone, takes two-hour
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • lunches, and somehow still misses deadlines. I didn't mind at first. I figured management would notice eventually. They didn't. So I stopped.
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • Last month I decided I was done. If a task is assigned to him, I let it sit. If a client emails him, I forward it to him instead of answering it myself. I kept doing my own job and nothing more.
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • Suddenly, things started slipping. Clients got frustrated. Deadlines were missed. And this week, my manager called me in and handed me a written warning for "negative attitude" and "not being a team player."
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • I asked what specifically I'd done wrong. He said I "used to be more helpful" and that my "energy has changed." He never mentioned the coworker once.
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • So apparently doing my own job well and not doing someone else's job is now a performance issue. The person who actually isn't working faces zero consequences, but I get a write-up for not covering for him anymore.
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • Cheezburger Image 10666457600
    via Headway

    Are we supposed to do our coworkers job?


    Stock photo unrelated



     

  • I'm honestly considering just letting the whole thing burn. But I need the health insurance. Has anyone dealt with this? Do I fight the write- up or just start job hunting?
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • justhereforgossiping Never cover for someone else's laziness or plain negligence.
    via justhereforgossiping
  • berrytreetrunk Why didn't you explain about your coworker? Baffles me you took the hit without explaining.
    via berrytreetrunk
  • Talithathinks I would start job hunting for sure.
    via Talithathinks
  • JOB APPLICATION % 2
    via Markus Winkler

    Job hunting again

    Image for illustrative purposes



     

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workplace-stories toxic-workplace work workplace toxic-work-environment
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