Employee Definition and Legal Meaning

On this page, you'll find the legal definition and meaning of Employee, written in plain English, along with examples of how it is used.

What is Employee?

n. a person who is hired for a wage, salary, fee or payment to perform work for an employer. In agency law the employee is called an agent and the employer is called the principal. This is important to determine if one is acting as employee when injured (for worker’s compensation) or when he/she causes damage to another, thereby making the employer liable for damages to the injured party.