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Most workplace friction follows a predictable script. Someone oversteps, you have a quick conversation about it, and everyone moves on like adults.

It’s annoying but manageable, and most people with a few years of experience know how to handle it without losing sleep.

But every once in a while, a coworker shows up who doesn’t follow the script at all.

An employee who’s been at her company longer than most of her team and regularly receives praise from leadership started dealing with a new coworker who immediately began questioning her expertise in meetings, second-guessing her decisions in front of management, and criticizing contractor mistakes as if they were hers.

So the moment the employee walked in on her holding an unannounced meeting about her projects with a contractor, the situation went from annoying to alarming.

Keep reading for the full story.

Coworkers Taking Over My Job

I’ve been at this job for a few years (longer than most of my coworkers) and I’ve had my fair share of issues to resolve with coworkers, but usually it’s a quick conversation and we’re all good.

I am visibly younger, so I’m used to people overstepping boundaries at first.

I was hired because of my experience and expertise (and constantly receive praise from my bosses, help my coworkers, etc.), so I have no worries about my performance.

But there was someone who pretty much had it out for her from day one.

However, this new coworker is very different. Let’s call her Jodie.

Jodie transferred from a different department to my department as a cost consultant. She’s been in my meetings while I’m presenting asking questions about things that were already covered minutes prior.

She treats me as though I don’t understand my work by criticizing issues that are contractor mistakes (not approved by me), and after I decide to make a specific adjustment, she’ll ask, “Do you mean [blank] instead?”

All of this in front of our bosses.

She doesn’t seem to understand boundaries at all.

There have also been occasions where she butted into conversations I was having with other coworkers about work or non-work topics just to derail those conversations as well.

At this point I’ve stopped talking to her.

But soon the employee started to fear for her job security.

Until I walked in on her and a coworker who does a similar job as me discussing my work with a contractor.

This was very off-putting, because neither of these people know the processes and they didn’t mention meeting on any of these changes at all.

I don’t know what to do here.

I’ve mentioned to my boss that this has been going on, but I guess now I have to worry about secret meetings to change my work?

This workplace definitely has a Jodie problem.

What did Reddit have to say?

HR really needs to get involved here.

This user has a hot tip on how to navigate this drama with professionalism.

There are myriad ways to clap back corporate style.

It’s time to start matching Jodie’s energy.

This stopped being garden-variety workplace friction the second she started holding meetings about someone else’s work behind closed doors.

Questioning someone in a meeting is annoying but survivable. But going around that person to discuss their projects with a contractor is a clear overstep — plain and simple.

Ultimately, this experienced employee has way more of an advantage: more tenure, better reviews, and a stronger relationship with leadership. It’s time to start exploiting those advantages.

If she wants to survive this workplace drama, she’ll have to beat her nosy coworker at her own game.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a woman whose HR department advised her to quit if she was that unhappy, so she did and found herself in a role reversal years later.