Some people try to focus on doing their work while at work, but other people try to boost their career by lying about their coworkers to make them look bad.

In today’s story, a horrible coworker seems out to get another coworker and makes up multiple lies. Instead of confronting the coworker about these actions, the victim has an even better idea.

Let’s see how the story plays out.

How I Took Down a Career Saboteur

It all started when a new colleague joined our ragtag bunch of systems engineers deploying ground based radars around the world.

From day one, I could tell there was something off about him.

He really does sound like an annoying guy.

He had these weird mannerisms of always trying to one up someone else’s story and be the center of attention.

He struck me as one of those guys who would look you in the eye and smile as he sinks the knife into your back and kiss the wound after getting what he wants.

He was also one of those guys who tried to steal everyone else’s thunder.

Needless to say, he was overly ambitious, constantly trying to undermine me and take credit for my work.

The guy tried to get OP fired.

I tried to brush it off, hoping it was just a phase, but things only escalated.

One day, I discovered he was spreading false rumors about me to senior management, trying to sabotage my career.

Basically this snivelling punk tried telling management I was drinking on the job, appeared high, was very combative and threatening, and an insider threat as he saw me always carrying around external hard drives and must be stealing corporate data.

My manager confronted me about the rumors and told me I was on restricted duty for two weeks while they investigated.

He decided to document everything.

I was furious but decided to play it smart.

I took PTO (vacation) for two weeks and came back to an unfounded report.

Instead of confronting him directly, I started documenting everything. Every lie, every deceitful act, every instance of him trying to play games with my career.

I also did something in the gray area by setting up surveillance cameras with sound around my area (think nanny cams).

He caught the guy doing shady things.

One day I catch him on video speaking to a competitor and divulging proprietary information without an NDA.

I then heard him talking to a vendor about an all expense paid trip to Hawaii during his vacation time for helping them make a sale with our company.

Oh…that is an organizational conflict of interest burn.

He still didn’t confront the coworker.

I knew I needed to act carefully.

Using the company’s ethics hotline, I anonymously reported his behavior, providing all the evidence I had gathered.

The investigation took a few weeks, and during that time, he continued his underhanded tactics, completely unaware of the storm heading his way.

The coworker got fired.

Finally, the day of reckoning arrived.

I was at my desk when I saw two HR representatives and a security guard walking toward him.

They escorted him out of the building, and as he passed by my desk, he gave me a cold, knowing stare. He knew it was me who had reported him.

I stood up, looked him straight in the eyes, and said, “Next time, find a toy and don’t play with me.”

Yeah…HR did write me up for that line after taking out the trash…at the time I thought it was well worth it.

I’m surprised the coworker lasted at that company as long as he did. He never should’ve been hired.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted.

This person liked the line that got OP in trouble at work.

Another person warns OP to watch out for revenge.

This reader can relate to this story.

Another reader doesn’t think OP did anything wrong.

This person calls OP “a genius.”

Lying, manipulative coworkers deserve to get fired.

If you liked this post, check out this story about an employee who got revenge on a co-worker who kept grading their work suspiciously low.