Co-worker took credit for my work and was promoted

[Arabella]

I work in a high-tech start-up which is consistently rated one of the best places to work in my city. I was hired back in March of this year, and I began to work alongside a guy with the same title, who had been there for four months at the time. We got along well, but we had different strengths and generally worked on different things, always collaborating as necessary.

 

He is somewhat more experienced than I, and has taught me some things... but otherwise, training has been minimal since I started working here. I brought in most of my knowledge.

 

Being a highly organized and detail-oriented person, I quickly took charge of a certain task which my co-worker had been having a hard time with. It is not extremely complicated, but time consuming and vital to the organization. He had trouble not for lack of ability, but simply because he was very busy and and not as methodical. So, that became kind of my niche. He helped sometimes, but it has been literally 95% my work since I began.

 

A couple weeks ago, during our weekly team meeting, he reported on something I was working on to improve the process I'm now responsible for. He did not say it was his work, but because he brought it up, everyone assumed it was. He did collaborate to assist me in resolving an issue I encountered, but again... mostly my work. At the time, I let it go.

 

Today, we received an email announcing his promotion to a more senior position, which essentially retains the same duties he already has. It's just a new title and more money. It is well deserved as far as I'm concerned.

 

However, the email listed several things that were MY work, not his, as part of his accomplishments. It also mentioned that he is the "go-to" person for our department, and he has been the top performer the past two quarters.

 

This bothers me to no end because yes, it is true that he is the top performer... but no small reason for this is that I've taken up ALL the time-consuming duties since I started, allowing him to focus on other things which are usually quick. I did this out of my own volition because I knew he had difficulty with it and I wanted to contribute to the team's success. Hence why the improvement has been in the past two quarters!

 

I feel insulted and taken advantage of. I've been feeling unappreciated as of late, and this just feels like the last straw. My first reaction is to update my resume and put myself back on the market, and let someone else woo me away from here. I have valuable skills and I will be scooped up quick.

 

Should I talk to my manager, or even to my co-worker? I feel like that will only be viewed as jealousy, not legitimate complaints. Am I over-reacting? What should I do?

 

 

-A

[LuckyLady13]

Arabella, slow down for a second! I'm an employer, not an employee so I think I'll have some good insight for you from the other side of the situation.

 

Stick with this job for a bit and use this as a learning experience. There are going to be people who will take advantage of you to look good or in the least, like this instance with you, take credit for a few things and use it to move forward.

 

Is it fair? No. Is it the right thing to do? Of course not.

 

However, if you split from this job now, you're almost running away after getting your feelings hurt. As a woman in your line of work where there are going to be men who are going to at times try to run right over you, you need to stay for a bit and learn how to deal with this before you move on. It will do you a world of good to stay and learn how to deal with a guy like this.

 

Don't run.

 

There are going to be people like this guy all over the place so I advise you to stay and learn how to deal with him. Deal with what has happened right now, tackle this problem and THEN move on.

 

So right now you didn't get credit for some things you spent time on, he got the credit for it and is looking good. What did you learn? Don't be quiet about what you're doing! Be more vocal about the things you are handling for this business you work for. Still be that team player (great asset employers look for) but in order to be a team player, you have to learn how to deal with the team you're on and that means guys just like this! You're not a team player until you learn how to work with your team, even when part of your own team is just not very cool and is looking out for only themselves and their own advancement.

 

A real team player knows how to deal with every type of person they're going to bump into on their team, remain in that team when times are tough and change tactics to deal with new situations that arise.

 

If you stay and clean up a bit of this mess this guy created for you before you leave, your confidence will be way up and you'll have learned such an important lesson in teamwork.

 

As an employer, I'd want to know what went on but not in a way that I see one of my employees, especially female, come to me almost crying about what happened. I've got my hands so absolutely full with responsibility and headaches all day that it would be almost too easy to miss something like this so I'd need it brought to my attention. But I need to know the people working for me are capable and I can trust them. I'd trust someone and quickly promote someone who can handle the situation you're in right now.

 

Don't do this guy any favors anymore but be more vocal about what you're doing and make sure at least a few people around you know what's going on. Okay?