employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯ(i)-ˈē 

(ˌ)em-;

im-ˈplȯ(i)-ˌē 

em-

variants or less commonly employe

: one employed by another usually for wages or salary and in a position below the executive level

Synonyms

• hand
• hireling
• jobholder
• retainer
• worker

Examples of employee in a Sentence

A good boss listens to his employees.

The company has more than 2,000 employees worldwide.

Recent Examples on the Web

An air of unfinished business does continue to linger between Molly and Arthur (Nat Faxon), her employee at The Wells Foundation, who remain afraid to confess their feelings for one another. —Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024

Currently, more than 610 corporate employees, or around 25% of the staff at H&R Block’s headquarters, work remotely. —Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024

The spokesperson also added that the decision to lay off people is never taken lightly and affected employees will receive job transition support from the company. —Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024

Cordova’s boss, Rena Frost, concurs as a mother, former employee and current employer. —Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024

The first people to tour it were Greenbrier employees, who received the opportunity as a quiet thank you for their discretion. —Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2024

In a letter emailed to council members, Mayor Vi Lyles, city manager Marcus Jones and news outlets, the NC Restaurant & Lodging Association said such a move could impact businesses and their employees. —Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024

Developing an effective incident response plan is an important part of establishing most risk management frameworks as well as raising employee awareness and addressing third-party risk. —Sivan Tehila, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

The budget also would raise the amount that local school boards have to pay for health insurance for non-certified employees such as custodians, cafeteria workers and secretaries. —Jeff Amy, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

employ entry 1 + -ee entry 1, perhaps after French employé

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯi-ˈē  (ˌ)em- 

im-ˈplȯi-ˌē,

em-

: one who works for another for wages or a salary

Legal Definition

employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee

variants also employe

: a person usually below the executive level who is hired by another to perform a service especially for wages or salary and is under the other's control see also respondeat superior compare independent contractor

Note: In determining whether an individual is an employee, courts look at several factors, including the nature of the compensation paid, provision for employee benefits, whether the hired party is in business, tax treatment of the hired party, source of the equipment used, and location of the work. Statutes, such as workers' compensation acts and labor laws, usually include a definition of employee as it is used in the statute.