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

Officials said a customer at the McDonald’s recognized Mangione and notified an employee, who then called local police. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024

Some 28 of the 100 nonprofits on our list reported total compensation of more than $1 million for at least one employee, up from 25 last year. —William P. Barrett, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

The 26-year-old computer science graduate of the University of Pennsylvania was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee at the fast-food restaurant recognized him. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

According to a LinkedIn profile, Mangione was most recently an employee of a Santa Monica, California, tech firm that offers a buying and selling platform for cars. —Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 10 Dec. 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.