How To Deal With Someone Taking Credit For Your Work

When someone else takes credit for your work, there are four steps you must take: seek clarification, request it to be fixed, get mad, then get over it.

We’ve all had that experience where we work really hard on something and instead of getting recognised for our contribution, we have to sit there and choke back bile when someone else takes credit for the work.

It’s infuriating to think about how hard you worked and how much effort you put into a project only to see some other glory-hound or charlatan pass all that effort off as their own.

I’ve dealt with it many times. I’ve found copies of my articles and blog posts on other websites only to find they weren’t attributed to me. They were passed off as someone else’s work. It’s maddening. There’s a feeling of helplessness that comes along with that situation.

So what can you do when you’re in this situation? What do you do when someone else passes your work off as their own? How do you handle it when someone else takes credit for the work you did?

Here are a few thoughts.

1. Seek clarification

It could be an accident. You might be wrong in thinking someone is taking credit for your work. They might have sung your praises before you walked in the room to find them presenting your deck. They may have written a nice email giving you full credit but all you heard was “I received this presentation from (not you) and it’s great.”

Clarify first. Just ask. If you are wrong and the person gave you credit, thank them politely for promoting your work.

2. Request (nicely) a correction

If it’s clear they did pass of your work as theirs or they took credit for your idea, ask them (in private) if they could clarify to others that it was actually your work.

You might say “I’m glad you liked my work but after your presentation, some people are under a mistaken impression that you did the work. I would appreciate it if you could clarify to them that the work was mine.” More often than not, they’ll heed that request.

If it’s your content that has been stolen/plagiarised, send an email or make a call asking the person to remove it and to never do it again. Give them a clear timeline for action and show them a reference back to your original work.

They might be unaware that the work was stolen (maybe someone on their team did it – see the point above on clarification).

If you’re okay with your work being republished with attribution, ask them to include the correct attribution with any links you desire back to your original article. Many times, they’ll comply with this request.

3. Demand a correction

If the person decides not to satisfy your request for a correction, demand one. You could petition the person’s supervisor to rectify things (the boss might be unaware that someone is taking credit for your work).

Let the person know you’re upset that they took credit and that they’ve violated some pretty clear societal standards on giving and taking credit. In some cases (like plagiarism) you might even have your lawyer send a demand notice requesting redress.

4. Go nuclear or get over it

If all the above strategies fail, you have two choices. You can go for the nuclear option and file a formal complaint at work (with your boss, human resources, etc.) or sue (e.g. for plagiarism) or carry out a public campaign to call out the fraud.

Or you can vent about it, make your case, then shut up and move on with life. Events like this can be total energy-drainers. You can choose instead to focus your efforts on being productive and moving forward knowing that the universe will take care of the fakers of the world.

See also: Do You Work With A Credit Hog?