12 Phrases Of A Coworker Trying To Sabotage You

Workplace relationships can be complex, and not everyone who works with you will admire your hard work or good nature. Some coworkers might act like they are helping you while really working against you. Their words might seem harmless, but they often carry subtle signs of sabotage. It signifies their jealousy of your success and inability to stand your growth. Recognizing these phrases is not about placing blame but understanding when someone may not have your best interests at heart. Here are the phrases that might reveal hidden attempts to undermine your efforts at work.
“I forgot to add your name to the email”

Leaving you out of important communications can make you feel invisible or unacknowledged. It might sound like an apology, but it’s often just an excuse. By using this phrase, your coworker implies that your contributions were insignificant. It also gives the same impression to others. Being excluded from emails or meetings can affect how others perceive your involvement. It is a way to limit your visibility while appearing apologetic. In reality, this is done to sabotage your growth.
“I wasn’t sure if you would be interested in this”

Your coworkers would use this phrase when they deliberately leave you out of important tasks or opportunities. It can sound like they are being thoughtful, but it’s a way to justify excluding you. They imply you don’t care, even when they know you would want to be involved. It can make you feel sidelined and prevent you from contributing where you are most needed. Your coworkers use this phrase to take control of decisions that impact both you and them. It is a subtle way to limit your involvement without appearing obvious.
“They said you weren’t ready for this project”

When someone shares what “others” think about you, it often feels like a subtle attack. It can make you question your readiness and abilities without knowing the full context. Your coworker uses this phrase to smartly shift the blame and make it seem like they are just relaying information. Phrases like this can damage your confidence and create unnecessary tension. It positions them as someone who knows more about your standing than you do. While it might sound like they are trying to help, it often raises doubts about your qualifications.
“I will handle it since you seem busy”

Taking over tasks can sometimes be helpful, but when framed this way, it can feel like they question your ability to manage your responsibilities. This phrase can make you appear unreliable to others. It suggests that you are overwhelmed, even if you are perfectly capable of handling the work. Hearing this in front of others can damage your reputation and make you feel like you are being unfairly judged. It is often a tactic to undermine your credibility while pretending to lend a helping hand.
“I didn’t think you would want the extra workload”

A coworker might say this to explain why they didn’t involve you in a project or task. While it sounds like they’re being considerate, it denies you the chance to decide for yourself. This phrase suggests that you’re unwilling or unable to take on more, which can harm how others perceive your work ethic. It also positions the coworker as someone who takes initiative while leaving you out. This tactic can limit your growth opportunities and make you feel excluded from important responsibilities. Instead of discussing the workload, they take control by making decisions without your input.
“I heard they are considering someone else for this”

Bringing up rumors about your opportunities is a common tactic to plant seeds of doubt. Spreading such rumors is meant to demotivate you. It can make you feel uncertain about your chances for advancement. When your coworker uses this sentence, they sound like they are trying to help you, but it often carries an undertone of discouragement. Such comments can create anxiety about your position and make you question your standing in the workplace. It rarely adds value and often serves to undermine your confidence.
“I only told them what I thought was fair”

When someone uses this phrase, they often share selective information about your work. They might frame it as honest, but it’s usually a way to misrepresent your contributions. It can leave you feeling blindsided about how your efforts are portrayed to others. Your coworker uses this phrase and pretends to speak for the team while minimizing your role. It is a way of justifying actions that might harm your reputation.
“I just assumed you would figure it out”

Failing to provide guidance and support while claiming it was unintentional is a subtle way to create setbacks. Such phrases shift the blame onto you for not seeking clarity. Your coworker uses this phrase to avoid taking the blame for not disclosing information. It can frustrate you, especially when the missing information is crucial to your success. It is a way of avoiding responsibility while making you look less capable. Such behavior disrupts teamwork and creates unnecessary challenges.
“You didn’t seem that confident in the meeting”

When someone questions your performance or behavior in front of others, it can feel like an intentional dig. It suggests you were unprepared or unsure, even if that wasn’t true. It highlights your perceived weaknesses while making them seem more observant. Phrases like this can damage your reputation and make you feel self-conscious. It is often a way to plant doubts about your competence while framing their observation as helpful feedback. Instead of addressing concerns privately, they choose to highlight them publicly.
“I was not sure if it was your responsibility or mine”

Creating confusion about roles and responsibilities can be a subtle way of avoiding accountability. A coworker might use this phrase to shift blame onto you if something goes wrong. It sounds like an honest mistake, but it often feels like an excuse to dodge responsibility. Such phrases can frustrate you, especially if it results in unfinished work or missed deadlines. It creates uncertainty about who is supposed to handle tasks, which can impact team efficiency.
“I didn’t think you would be ready for the deadline”

Questioning your ability to meet deadlines can feel like a direct challenge to your professionalism. It implies that you are unreliable or unable to manage your time effectively. A coworker might use it to position themselves as more reliable in comparison to you. It creates doubt about your work ethic and can impact how others view your performance. Such tactics often highlight their strengths while casting a shadow on your efforts.
“The client said they preferred my version”

Taking credit for work or implying their contribution was better can feel like a betrayal. It positions the coworker as the stronger performer while downplaying your efforts. It creates tension and makes you question whether your work is being fairly recognized. While client feedback is important, using it to elevate themselves at your expense is a clear sign of sabotage. Your coworker uses this phrase to take control of the narrative while leaving you feeling undervalued.
When you work in an office, it is always beneficial to know about the intentions of others. Coworkers who use subtle phrases to sabotage others often mask their intentions with politeness. These comments can significantly impact your confidence and reputation in the workplace. Healthy workplaces thrive on trust and mutual respect, and recognizing sabotage is the first step in maintaining your credibility.