Why Women Sabotage Each Other in The Workplace


kenya n phaedraBy Staff Blogger

As a young girl, high school can be the best time of your life, or the worst. Teenage girls can be mean, backstabbing, and downright cruel to get what they want. Now psychiatrist, Peggy Drexler, is saying that this behavior often continues into the workforce. She states that the women who are in high powered positions often treat their teammates poorly to maintain their position of power. It is high school all over again. However, this does not only apply to high-powered women; it goes for all women, in general, in the workforce.

Drexler argues that women tend to form a type of sisterhood with their teammates and create a supportive and loving environment to work. This however does not ring true. Women are no more likely to form a group than men would. This argument does not show the different stresses and tensions that come along with women in the workplace and how it can be just like high school with cliques and groups.
According to commentator Hannah Kapp-Klote, when these types of views are expressed, it sets women back in the workforce. It makes it seem as if women feel that this is a big sorority where they can love and support each other through everything. Views like this are the reason that women are still paid less than their male counterparts, and sometimes are not considered for high power positions., says Kapp-Klote.

According to Kapp-Klote , office politics go far beyond cliques. Women are driven, and when they get a good job, they want to make sure that they will keep it, as more and more women are suffering through job loss and entering poverty. So those who have a high power career will do what they can to make sure they keep that job, even if it means getting a little mean sometimes.



  1. I totally agree with this article… I’m from New Orleans and never really went through it; but when I moved to Texas, I’ve gone through this to the extreme……..

    • Dianna Jenkins on

      Kim: I’m from Lake Charles, a few hours away from New Orleans and I understand exactly what you mean. I remember when hurricane Katrina hit and people from New Orleans were coming to Lake Charles, Westlake, Sulphur, Moss Bluff ext. areas, we didn’t know what to expect because we know your city is the murder capitol of the world. We were scared! Then we had our own hurricane Rita in 2005 and evacuated to Houston, Texas. My sister and I went to a center where they were doing fema application. Oh my, its like we saw a new breed of women. They had a mouth and neck full of gold, even old women,and dressed half naked. I thought to myself that New Orleans breed of women were different from us. But, when I talk to some of them and they told us their stories how they lived, I thought different. And I also saw how people from Texas treated New Orleans people too.

  2. I tell my Daughter not to tun her back, and that she will never find a girlfriend at the workplace. I share my lessons, and, she can apply where necessary.

  3. why women sabotage each other in the workplace? the answer is simple, bc they are crazy as hell and there is really no other kinder way to say it. it is sickening to see how ridiculous women can behave in any situation. sorry to say, but the best experience i’m had with a boss is the white male. white females, black females and black males make the worst bosses. btw, i’m black female 🙂

  4. Yep happened to me in Pennsylvania. I am out of a 16 year career as an I.T. Specialist. And the state permitted for this to occur even when the supervisor opnly admitted she set me up for a forced termination working with personnel. They sent me o see a psychiatrist when it was her that needed to see one. But God seen it all and its a matter of time for Him to take revenge against her for what He witnessed her doing to me. What gets me, the federal government is aware of this and yet they alloe the crooked EEoC to remian in office. Hell they need budget uts????Get rid of the entire EEOC. THEY ARE WORTHLESS! And will tell you they have not the manpower to fully investigate. If not equipped….Then you Mr. President must acquit Them for future use in any administration! rid of them. Oh thats riht – Michelles best friend is the chairlady Correct me if I am wrong????

  5. Kim…Same thing happened to me at the internationally reknown hospital in NE Ohio. I was harrassed for 3 mths for the most petty things. My supervisor would comb over all of my work looking for something to pin on me. I was stressed out, losing weight, hair falling out and just after my Mother’s death. Seems anyone they can terminate for frivolous things they would and those they couldn’t they eliminated their jobs. Seems they are radically restructuring their division and are trying to save money in the process by paying out as little severance as possible. It was cruel and the supervisor couldn’t look me in the eye when she would present things to me. But Kim as you said their time eis coming.

    • Robin: The same EXACT thing happened to me and in the same EXACT order: stressed out, losing weight, hair falling out and JUST after my Mother’s death. The women in my workplace gave me sheer hell for 7 years. They finally found bogus crap to pin on me and I’ve been out of a job since 2010. This article is true in all forms. And another post described the EEOC to a “T” — They are MFrs and are simply WORTHLESS!

  6. LoveSprinkler on

    Women in the workplace can be the worst to work with. Some behave like high school mean girls. I see it every day. The behavior has nothing to do with age. The oldest person at my job is 67 and she goes right along with it. In fact it’s an office of mostly women;the majority are mid 50’s and older. If you don’t play along and treat the current target poorly, you often find yourself the target. It’s a you are with us or against us mentality. It’s very sad. Fortunately, I know better, so I don’t play along. I believe this type of behavior will never change.

  7. I have witnessed this behavior and personally experienced it. I have tend to agree with Ann’s statement above “white females, black females and black males make the worst bosses”. Unfortunately I have took the worst of it from Black women and Black men. I understand that harassment can happen to anyone from anyone. However, it is very disheartening when you experience from your own people. Also, I notice that young adults born after 1990 are also very harassing. They have grown up in a gossip culture permeated by Facebook, Twitter, and WorldStarHipHop. A culture where everyone is trying to make a name for themselves by picking on other people. You know what, I take that back. This behavior is the norm all over the workplace, because these things are the signs of the times … The end of days.

  8. Legallychitown on

    So much for women’s lib! So I guess I should just toss this JD out the window and get back in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant! If you can’t deal with a little conflict go home. I’m so sick of this foolish rhetoric. I’ve worked with some fine women in my day. No we did not get along everyday but who cares. I Luv working with or under a emotionally stable woman because we get sh*t done. Is this article suggesting men can’t be mean when they achieve a certain level of success?! Sounds like this article and most comments are just over the top dramatic. Just because you disagree or don’t like someone doesn’t mean it’s “sabotage”. I don’t like drama or pettiness and separate myself far away from it. The majority of women who cry sabotage like surrounding themselves with those kinds of women. They Luv the “in crowd”, the gossip, the foolishness,ergo u get what comes with being in the midst of it. If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen!

    • No one is suggesting anything so extreme as to not working. You obviously have not experienced what others are talking about so therefore, you need not make any comments. I am a person who dislikes drama as well and just wants to get the job done. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of working with the bright, mature, confident women you have been blessed with. By the way, sabotage does happen all the time and I have been victimized by it. I have had things taken off my desk and returned just before a deadline, I had to make copies of everything I did, that was just one thing, I have too many others to mention. In the end, it did not matter because I lost my job anyway. I never complained, was always on time (early), always helped out and never took advantage of anything. But there was a monster who just did not like me and there was nothing I could do to change it. After 4 years, I still get calls from people who tell me how much I am missed. It’s their lost.

  9. In watching reality tv.One common thread is that women are not respectful to one another. No matter race or socioeconomic status. They will dog each other out for the smallest thing. No loyalty whatsoever. And that is sad. We should be a sisterhood, but with internet and social media and everyone looking for their 15,you can trust no one.

  10. Women who do this are insecure about someting in their lives and they will strike out at you if you have your life and head together. I have experienced things that I never expected from a sister who you would think would understand what a struggle it is to succeed in a world where everyone expects you to fail. My situation resulted in my losing my job and settling for one at half the salary I was making previously. This is not the economy that allows for any restitution. Since that time, I have not been able to find a compatible position because that individual has to be contacted for a reference and I am sure she is still sabotaging me. She was my supervisor and I can’t get around her. I have to leave it in God’s hands because there is nothing else I can do. These women need prayer.

  11. Idelolita Rodriquez Scott on

    To all of you ladies, I can definitely relate to and unxerstand where you are coming from on this subject. It is very rare that women can get along with each other in the workplace. I have had a couple female supervisors with whom I worked very well with, respecting each othef and getting things done. However, there are others with whom I have worked for or with, who were insecureabout their own positions in the office that they not only stabbed me in the back, but would do the same to each other as well. This particular job did me more of a favor when they terminated me than they realized, and it only means that God has sometbing even better set up for me with my new job when the time comes… Remember, that God sees all and that ‘no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, every tongue that rises up against you, you shall condemn…this is your heritage (vindication) from Me , says the Lord (Isa. 54:17)… Trust in Him and He will work everything out in your favor and for your good!!! Be blessed!

  12. Sadly I have to agree Just glad to be retired an not in it any longer but in my day I did prefer to work under men as a craft employee I tried hard to make a difference when I got in management because I remembered what I went through!

  13. so essentially, women sabotage each other out of insecurity? that sounds about right… but I tend to think that insecure/wounded/hurt people are inclined to these types of actions and behavior rather than just women.

  14. Yes, I just suffered through a scenario like the one mentioned above. I’ve been out of work since December 2012. The employer was looking to make cuts because they felt we had too many people in our department. The backstabbing over small stuff became the norm and soon I was the target of gossip, bullying and nitpicking over small stuff. I got fed up with the harassment and went to HR after unsuccessfully trying to negotiate with my bullies. Because I went to HR I was labeled as a trouble maker and fired. I’m a Black Female and my bullies were also black women. It makes me not want to work around other black women in the future. Too much drama that has costed me almost everything.