Every loyal employee aspires to reach the mountaintop of their chosen career. Those who do it right will work diligently until they reach the summit. But some would rather take a shortcut to the top, even if it means sabotaging a colleague’s career.
This is what a teacher did when she misled her superior and ultimately stole her coworker's leadership position. However, she soon realized that she wasn’t fit for the job’s obligations as she struggled through every step like an amateur.
Meanwhile, her colleague got to enjoy a lighter workload as she cheekily shared the story online.
Some employees take an unethical approach to their job, all for the sake of getting ahead
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
A teacher experienced this with one of her colleagues, who took advantage of her hearing disorder
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
While she did lose her leadership role to her manipulative coworker, she did get the last laugh
Image credits: StoneofForest
Workplace vultures aren’t held accountable for their actions
Image credits: pexels (not the actual photo)
Experts have a term for people like Tenny in the story: workplace vultures. As the name suggests, these are the manipulative and opportunistic employees who do everything for their career gain, even if it means stepping on someone else’s toes.
Here’s the thing: workplace vultures typically get away with their behavior. According to psychotherapist and executive coach Joan Kingsley, upper management may choose to look the other way because these toxic employees “are contributing to the bottom line.”
"They may be very good 'yes people,' people-pleasers, so they know how to please their bosses," Kingsley told SHRM.
In other cases, companies tend to tolerate such destructive actions because of financial constraints. As business consultant Allison Carmen explains, the cost of recruiting, severance, and lawyers is an expense the company would rather not incur.
Entrepreneur and former Shark Tank guest Matt Higgins refers to this kind of employee as the “hijacker.” As he told Inc., these people are often troubled by their colleagues’ successes because they want it all for themselves.
When handling a hijacker, Higgins advises being assertive. As he explains, the person will be less likely to mess with someone who exudes confidence.
Dr. Heidi Brooks, an organizational behavior lecturer at the Yale School of Management, advises against escalating the situation to a point where things can get heated. She emphasizes the importance of staying calm and professional and avoiding emotional outbursts.
“It's their character and integrity at stake, not yours,” Dr. Brooks said. “Beware of how much the messages of a bully can get under your skin and get internalized. Stay grounded.”
The author deserves credit for handling the situation the way she did. She let karma do its thing, and it did deliver. It also likely taught Tenny a valuable lesson on sabotaging others for her own gain, and she would be dealing with the fallout for a while.
People in the comments expressed joy in Tenny’s struggle
