employee

noun

em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯ(i)-ˈē How to pronounce employee (audio)
(ˌ)em-;
im-ˈplȯ(i)-ˌē How to pronounce employee (audio)
em-
variants or less commonly employe
: one employed by another usually for wages or salary and in a position below the executive level

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Across all brands, Franchise has 2,200 retail store locations including company-owned and franchised, and 11,900 total employees. Vicki M. Young, Sourcing Journal, 4 Nov. 2024 Currently, employees and employers pay 6.2 percent tax on income up to this amount, which goes directly to Social Security. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 In addition, North Dakota has a law encouraging, though not mandating, that employees be given time off to head to the ballot box. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2024 In the past, something that has also worked has been offering half-days to employees who work during those key holidays. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for employee 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of employee was in 1822

Dictionary Entries Near employee

Cite this Entry

“Employee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/employee. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

employee

noun
em·​ploy·​ee im-ˌplȯi-ˈē How to pronounce employee (audio) (ˌ)em- How to pronounce employee (audio)
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.

More from Merriam-Webster on employee

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