It starts with a whisper by the coffee machine. A sideways glance in a team meeting. The “forgotten” email that somehow never makes it into your inbox. These little acts of sabotage, once the stuff of whispered office lore, are back in fashion—and louder than ever.

According to new research, return-to-office (RTO) mandates haven’t just revived commutes and watercooler chatter—they’ve reignited an uglier tradition: backstabbing. And this time, it isn’t just confined to ambitious twenty-somethings trying to climb the ladder. Managers are in on it too.

The Data: A Culture of Sabotage

A survey from Resume Now paints a bleak picture:

• 61% of employees report having been thrown under the bus at work.
• Nearly a third witness sabotage weekly.
• 40% admit they’ve sabotaged a colleague themselves to get ahead.
• Gen Z and Millennials are perceived as twice as likely to engage in these behaviors compared to Boomers and Gen X.
• Even managers aren’t immune: 1 in 4 workers say their boss has deliberately set them up to fail.

The tactics? Blame-shifting, withholding key information, spreading negativity, and even orchestrating failure. In other words—classic corporate sabotage, now thriving in an era where visibility and optics weigh heavily on performance.

Why RTO Made Things Worse

It turns out, proximity can be poisonous. A Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) study revealed that employees under RTO mandates engaged in 63% more acts of incivility than their remote peers. From micromanaging to gaslighting, face-to-face interactions seem to amplify toxic behaviors.

In Q1 2025 alone, incivility in American workplaces surged by 21.5%, draining an estimated $2.1 billion daily in lost productivity. Researchers counted 208 million hostile acts every day—from shaming to withholding credit. The culprit? Increased exposure from being back in the office.

A Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) study revealed that employees under RTO mandates engaged in 63% more acts of incivility than their remote peers.

Derrick Scheetz of SHRM summed it up: “Workers are being exposed to more in-person interactions that bring more opportunities to act uncivil than virtual settings often offer.”

Managers Behaving Badly

One of the more disturbing findings is that sabotage isn’t just a peer-to-peer sport. Harvard Business School research confirms that managers sometimes deliberately undermine talented employees out of fear they’ll be overshadowed. This explains why younger generations report feeling “set up to fail” by the very leaders meant to guide them.

Career coach Keith Spencer advises employees to protect themselves by documenting contributions and communicating transparently. “It’s about visibility,” he notes. “When the knives are out, proof of your value matters.”

A Generational Story—or a Systemic One?

While surveys finger Gen Z and Millennials as prime offenders, experts warn against turning this into a generational blame game. The real driver, they argue, is structural: high-pressure workplaces, unclear expectations, and a culture that rewards performance optics over collaboration.

Add in broader trends—burnout, revenge quitting, task masking—and you see a workforce on edge. Nearly 73% of Gen Z say they’re considering switching jobs, citing repetitive work, lack of appreciation, and stagnant pay. When workers feel cornered, sabotage can seem like self-preservation.

The Human Cost

Behind the statistics are people struggling to trust colleagues, manage stress, and stay motivated. Research on workplace incivility shows that over half of affected employees waste time worrying or plotting responses. Nearly 40% reduce their commitment, and 20% admit they intentionally lower their effort. Over time, that’s not just toxic—it’s corrosive.

Women, studies show, bear the brunt: 55% report encountering disrespect, compared to 40% of men. For young professionals, especially those just starting out, the emotional toll of constant vigilance can be exhausting.

The Long Game: Why Backstabbing Rarely Wins

Interestingly, leaders who’ve thrived without playing dirty insist that sabotage is a short-term fix with long-term costs. Pano Christou, CEO of Pret A Manger, told Fortune that he rose quickly by “focusing on being the best—without shortcutting peers.” Neil Clifford of Kurt Geiger agreed: “I’d rather step into my boss’s shoes than push them over the cliff.”

Add in broader trends—burnout, revenge quitting, task masking—and you see a workforce on edge.

Even Amazon’s Andy Jassy credits attitude as a career accelerator: “You pick up advocates and mentors much more quickly. People want those people to succeed.”

The message? Backstabbing may get you noticed—but it won’t make you respected. And respect, not sabotage, builds careers.

What Young Professionals Can Do

So where does that leave Gen Z and Millennials entering or navigating these workplaces?

• Document your work. Create a paper trail of contributions to guard against blame-shifting.
• Prioritize clarity. Push for transparent expectations to reduce the space where sabotage thrives.
• Invest in conflict resolution. LinkedIn data shows it’s one of the fastest-growing workplace skills—and for good reason.
• Build alliances. Collaboration, not competition, can be a powerful antidote to toxic cultures.
• Protect your energy. Know when to disengage from politics and focus on meaningful output.

Rethinking the Office Norms

Backstabbing may feel like the new normal, but it doesn’t have to be. The real challenge for today’s workforce—both young professionals and seasoned managers—is to rewrite the script. Success doesn’t have to mean sabotage. In fact, the most successful leaders are proving that integrity, empathy, and advocacy for others are the real accelerators.

As one CEO put it: “I won’t stitch people up on my way up the ladder. And over time, that has really reaped rewards.” For Gen Z and Millennials just stepping onto the corporate stage, that may be the most important lesson of all.

References / Sources:

• Fortune (Orianna Rosa Royle, April 8, 2025)
• Resume Now, Dirty Moves Report
• SHRM Q1 2025 Civility Index
• Harvard Business School research on managerial sabotage
• LinkedIn 2025 Fastest-Growing Skills Report
• Talker Research / isolved, April 2025 survey on Gen Z job-switching
• Sogolytics Civility Study
• Workplace Incivility & Bullying research (various peer-reviewed studies)