Watch Your Back at Work: 69% of Workers Say They've Been Backstabbed on the Job

ResumeBuilder.com survey finds job protection and career advancement are driving widespread backstabbing as layoff concerns mount.

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ResumeBuilder.com™, an easy-to-use online resume builder, has released the findings of its new Workplace Backstabbing Report. Among more than 1,000 U.S. adults surveyed, 69% say someone at work has undermined them in the past year, whether by pinning blame on them, spotlighting their mistakes, or cutting them out of important conversations.

Key Findings

• Backstabbing is business as usual: 77% of workers consider workplace backstabbing or intentional undermining at least somewhat common.
• Most workers have been affected: 69% experienced at least one listed form of workplace undermining in the past year.
• The call is coming from inside the team: 62% feel someone has tried to push them out of their job, either currently or in the past, most often a teammate (37%) or even their own manager (19%)
• Survival and ambition are top motivators: 37% believe employees undermine colleagues to protect their jobs, and an equal share say they do so to gain recognition or credit. Another 34% cite improving promotion chances.
• Layoff anxiety can fuel self-preservation: 24% say employees become less willing to help colleagues when job security is a concern, while 35% say they would be likely to call attention to a coworker's mistakes if layoffs threatened their own job.

Backstabbing As a Workplace Norm

Workers believe workplace sabotage happens regularly, with a combined 77% saying it is at least somewhat common. This suggests the behavior is a familiar concern across the workplace.

• Extremely common: 16%
• Very common: 27%
• Somewhat common: 34%
• Not very common: 16%
• Not at all common: 7%

Inside the Backstabber's Playbook

From shifting blame to taking credit for someone else's work, backstabbers have several different tricks up their sleeves. Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) workers say they have experienced at least one of the following behaviors in the past year.

• Blamed them for a mistake or problem: 30%
• Called unnecessary attention to their mistakes: 26%
• Gossiped about them or spread rumors: 22%
• Withheld information they needed to succeed: 21%
• Excluded them from important conversations or decisions: 21%
• Took credit for their work or ideas: 19%
• Interfered with their ability to complete work successfully: 17%
• Tried to damage their relationship with a manager or colleague: 13%
• None of the above: 31%

Keep Managers Close and Coworkers Closer

When employees suspect colleagues are working against them, it can become harder to know whom to trust. Nearly two-thirds (62%) believe or suspect someone has tried to push them out of their job, either currently or in the past.

• Believe it is happening now: 16%
• Suspected it but were never certain: 21%
• Believe it happened in the past but is no longer happening: 25%
• Never experienced or suspected it: 38%

The biggest threats aren't coming from across the office. They're coming from the people workers rely on most. More than a third point to a coworker on their own team and nearly 1 in 5 say the person trying to push them out is their own manager.

• A coworker on their team: 37%
• Their direct manager: 19%
• Someone on another team: 18%
• Senior leadership: 9%
• A direct report: 7%
• No one: 30%

"It's a different kind of betrayal when someone is undermined by a teammate or the very manager who's supposed to be in their corner. When workers can't trust the people closest to them, they start second-guessing every conversation," says Stacie Haller, Chief Career Advisor at ResumeBuilder.com.

Every Backstabber Has a Motive

Workers see ambition and self-preservation as the driving forces behind backstabbing. Grabbing credit and protecting their own jobs top the list of perceived motives, with boosting promotion chances close behind. Full responses include:

• To gain recognition or credit: 37%
• To protect their own job: 37%
• To improve their chances of promotion: 34%
• To avoid blame for a mistake or failure: 31%
• To gain favor with a manager or senior leader: 26%
• Insecurity about their own performance: 25%
• Personal conflict or dislike: 23%
• Workplace competition encourages the behavior: 8%
• Do not believe employees intentionally undermine coworkers: 8%

Layoff Fears Turn Teammates Into Rivals

As layoffs continue to dominate the news cycle, job security fears are spilling into the workplace and changing how colleagues treat one another. When asked how anxiety over layoffs or job security has affected relationships at their job, workers reported:: 

• 24% — employees become less willing to help one another.
• 22% — employees are quicker to blame one another.
• 21% — employees trust one another less.
• 21% — employees become more competitive.
• 20% — employees become more protective of their work or ideas.

When it comes down to their job or a coworker's, many workers won't hesitate. More than one-third say they would be likely to call attention to a coworker's mistakes if layoffs threatened their own job.

• Very likely: 13%
• Somewhat likely: 22%
• Not very likely: 32%
• Not at all likely: 33%

"With high-profile layoffs dominating the news cycle, it's understandable that workers are constantly looking over their shoulders. But if anxiety starts affecting how colleagues treat you, don't wait for things to get worse before exploring other opportunities. A workplace fueled by fear isn't sustainable, and having a backup plan gives you some leverage to look out for yourself," says Haller.

For detailed insights on the Workplace Backstabbing Report, access the full study here.

Methodology

The findings presented are based on a survey conducted in October 2026 among 1,014 employed U.S. adults. The survey examined respondents' perceptions of backstabbing and intentional workplace undermining, their personal experiences with these behaviors, their experiences or suspicions of being pushed out of their jobs, their perceptions of why employees undermine coworkers, and the effects of layoff and job-security anxiety on workplace relationships.

The sample consisted of 26% Gen Z, 27% Millennials, 28% Gen X, and 19% Baby Boomers. Participants identified their gender as 62% female, 37% male, and 1% non-binary.

About ResumeBuilder.com

ResumeBuilder.com is an easy-to-use online resume builder created to help job seekers effortlessly elevate their careers. The platform leverages modern technology to offer a seamless way to build ATS-friendly, professional documents optimized for today's hiring practices. Millions of professionals rely on its cutting-edge tools, including an AI Resume Builder, a dedicated Cover Letter Builder, and a vast library of specialized resume templates and resume examples to design and download tailored application materials. Through its comprehensive Career Center, the platform provides free expert resume and cover letter guidance from career coaches and certified resume writers, along with workforce surveys and employment research frequently featured in national news. Follow ResumeBuilder.com as a preferred source on Google to receive the latest labor market research and career insights in your personalized search experience.

SOURCE ResumeBuilder