Boss takes all the credit

LegacyUser

Hi there,

Just wanted some advice on this as I am sure its very common in the workplace. Basically in my job I do all the work even tasks assigned to my boss. He generally passes his tasks off to me because he is so busy. Reality is he is on personal calls, on the internet or generally skiving off. He is very clever though he twists emails to make it look like stuff was his doing or idea. He is always selling himself to his superiors and taking credit for my ideas. A lot of people seem to buy into his hype and think he is the business.

If I say something to him I know he will make my life miserable. He's very clever and manipulative and knows how to play people. this issue is really getting to me and I have found myself being petty or even mildly hostile towards him which I think he is picking up on. There is now a slight tension between us and I know this is not good. I just find it sickening to be in meetings where he is lapping up all the praise for my work and everyone is congratulating him.

He is my superior in a high position and I need my job so talking to him or HR is not an option. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this situation? I feel angry and a bit of a muppet and this is not good for my health.

Do you just have to accept this how it is and stop focusing on it?

Thanks

Miss Fluff

Are his superiors based in the same office?

Kadongy

Yep been there. Guy didn't even come in one third of the time (I kept note for a couple of months) and when he did he was late and drunk or hungover. He picked up an award then for best employee in the department, thanks to his presentation skills and my skills in doing the actual work.

Sorry I dont have much advice. I just left the place and took meagre satisfaction in hearing that he'd been unable to maintain the systems he'd been taking credit for, and was just being given powerpoint presentations to prepare for someone he was supposed to be senior to.

I found it a really horrible position to be in. All I'd say is to change it some way. Don't have much advice to give on how to do that though.

VikingG

I think that you are taking things a bit too personally... first of all in a hierarchical situations like most medium to large companies... people at the top take credit for work done by those who report to them... and conversely they take responsibility for any issues. So if your boss is in meetings with his senior management then this will happen... so expect this.. Also if your boss has got good presentation and sales skills ...he might be the best person to put across your ideas.
However if he does not acknowledge your input in 1 to 1s and at a team level then you have an issue and I would focus on that.

Neyite

What you do with this is use it to your advantage. Become indispensible.

If he has to cut staff, its not gonna be the ones who make him shine (ie. you) so keep your knowledge and skills close to your chest. If he needs a report or presentation done, volunteer, keep your own records and information maintained so that over time, he is very dependant on you.

But remember, keep a detailed diary, because this kind of person will make sure that you are held responsible for any mistakes, not him.

King of Kings

to be honest - it is his department so it is his work. His job is to delegate.

Most senior management will know that he didn't do the work - cos none of them would have - they get the juniors to do it.

But that's his job so I don't see what he is doing work.

Kadongy

Doesn't sound like a team at all. Sounds like the OP is in an assistive kinda position and he is taking credit for doing the work directly, with the OP as the sidekick kinda thing.

SlowSprint

Anyone-else,

What you need to do is to seek ways make your work visible to others from under the canopy of your boss. In modern offices, there may be ways of doing this, for instance, look for cross functional teams where you are not necessarily doing work directly for your boss, but for the team.

If you can get to know your boss's boss, that will enable you to emerge from under his cover, if you like. Once you get to know him, you can pepper into conversations some of the things you have been achieving, not in a lick type of way, but just as information.

I am not sure about the advice of making yourself indespensible, I dont think anyone can achieve that. Also, a conniving charachter like your boss may not necessarily favour you for being good at your job - he may be threatened by that in fact. Remember that your boss doesnt own you or your work - it belongs to the company as a whole, and there any many others who have an interest in valuing your input.

What I used to do was if I finished a report that I had put a significant amount of work into, I might copy my boss's boss on the email. This may not be practical for you at first (avoid totally alienating your boss), but might be in time. That way your ownership of the work is more visible. It might be in the context that your boss's boss is interested in the subject, or had asked something about it etc.

LegacyUser

Have had bosses like this.
It depends on what sort of work environment it is but I'm guessing its an office.

You have to take a few things into account. All managers do this to an extent. They get the praise from their superiors on how their overall team performs no matter what. Thats how it works.

We delivered a huge project earlier in the year, myself and several others were the ones working weekends and late nights but if the project is successful, the managers get the praise. Its just how it works so dont take it to heart so much.

When it comes to performance reviews and bonuses or whatever, generally its your boss who rates you so he will see how much you've done for him.

On some levels though, some managers do take the piss with taking credit to individual tasks. The only way I found around it was to be a little more vocal, so people realised how hard you are working.
If I reply by email that I have done something, I CC others to imply its done but also show them I am working hard. If you do meet others or his superiors then its ok to drop a few hints sometimes. Don't boast but its ok to tell a senior manager if you are talking casually "Oh, so we got X done last week, <your boss> was asking me to do X, it turned out pretty well"... something like that... don't boast and rattle off all the things you did but casually say it as if you are asking them what they think of the job or if they are happy with some achievements which were met but sort of drop in how you were part of it. It all helps if you dont go overboard on saying what YOU did completely.

Hope thats some little help, best of luck.

jimmycrackcorm

Op, if you ever get to become a boss yourself, how would you picture yourself? Will you be praising the hard working junior, just like yourself, without considering that your own manager won't consider that they can dispense with your services and get the junior to do your job much cheaper?

The higher up the managerial ladder you go, the less the actual task oriented work you have to do, and the more the job is about simply getting others to undertake your directions.

Instead of resenting your boss, why aren't you focusing on how you can get into the same position yourself?