The most common way to say 'employee' in French is employé (or its feminine form, employée). But what if you're in a specific professional context or want to sound more nuanced?

Just like in English, French has several words for someone who works for a company, and the right choice depends on their role, the industry, and the level of formality.

Let's explore nine essential ways to say 'employee' in French to help you navigate the workplace like a pro!

The standard 'employee' – un/une employé(e)

The most direct and standard French word for a general “employee” is un employé (for a male) or une employée (for a female).

Employé(e) refers to a person who is hired to do a specific job for a company or another person, receiving a salary in return. It's the go-to term in most everyday and professional contexts.

Like many nouns in French, employé must agree in gender and number with the person it describes:

• un employé: a male employee
• une employée: a female employee
• des employés: multiple male employees or a mixed-gender group of employees
• des employées: multiple female employees

This term is widely used in business, administration, and legal documents. It's a neutral term, suitable for both formal and informal professional settings, referring to anyone from an office clerk to a retail worker.

While employé(e) is common, you will also encounter the word salarié(e). What's the difference? Salarié(e) is a broader, more administrative term for any salaried worker, regardless of their role. Employé(e) often, but not always, implies a non-executive or non-managerial position.

In the French corporate world, there's a key distinction between un employé and un cadre (an executive or manager). An employé is typically a non-managerial staff member, whereas a cadre holds a position of responsibility and has more autonomy. Using employé for a high-level manager would be inaccurate.

When in doubt, employé(e) is the safest and most universally understood word for “employee.” It clearly communicates the person's status as a hired worker without getting into the complexities of their specific rank or contract type.

💡 * L'entreprise recherche un nouvel employé pour le service client.

• Marie est la meilleure employée du mois.
• Tous les employés doivent assister à la réunion de lundi.
• Les employées de la comptabilité ont organisé un pot de départ.
• En tant qu'employé, vous avez droit à cinq semaines de congés payés.

The 'salaried worker' – un/une salarié(e)

When discussing employment in French, one of the most fundamental terms you'll encounter is un/une salarié(e), which directly translates to "a salaried worker" or "an employee."

This term specifically refers to an individual who works for an employer (un employeur) and receives a regular, fixed payment, known as un salaire (a salary). It clearly distinguishes this type of worker from freelancers (indépendants) or business owners.

Pay close attention to gender agreement: you use un salarié for a male employee and une salariée for a female employee. The plural form, covering all employees, is les salariés.

While employé(e) is a general term for "employee," salarié(e) is often preferred in formal, economic, or legal contexts. You'll frequently see it in employment contracts (contrats de travail), news reports on the economy, and discussions about workers' rights.

The noun salarié(e) comes from the broader concept of le salariat, which refers to the entire system of salaried employment. Understanding this connection helps you grasp its importance in French discussions about labor and the workforce.

💡 * En France, chaque salarié a droit à cinq semaines de congés payés.

• Elle est salariée dans une grande entreprise de technologie.
• Le nombre de salariés dans le secteur privé a augmenté ce trimestre.
• Quel est le salaire minimum pour un salarié à temps plein ?

The 'staff member' – un membre du personnel

To talk about a 'staff member' in French, the most direct and professional term is un membre du personnel.

Literally, this translates to 'a member of the staff/personnel.' Membre means 'member' and personnel means 'staff' or 'personnel.' This phrase is widely used in business, institutional, and formal settings.

Note that membre is a masculine noun, so it's always un membre, even if the staff member is female. The word personnel is a collective noun, referring to the staff as a whole.

The plural form is des membres du personnel, meaning 'staff members.' The word personnel itself doesn't change in this context.

You'll encounter un membre du personnel in workplaces, hotels, hospitals, and schools. It's a formal and respectful way to refer to an employee or a member of a team.

💡 * Un membre du personnel vous aidera à trouver votre chambre. (A staff member will help you find your room.)

• Tous les membres du personnel doivent assister à la réunion. (All staff members must attend the meeting.)
• Si vous avez une question, adressez-vous à un membre du personnel. (If you have a question, ask a staff member.)
• Elle est un nouveau membre du personnel. (She is a new staff member.)

The modern 'collaborator' – un/une collaborateur/collaboratrice

The terms un collaborateur (masculine) and une collaboratrice (feminine) translate to 'collaborator,' but are commonly used in modern business French to mean 'colleague' or 'coworker.' It carries a more formal and integrated tone than the more traditional term collègue.

It is crucial to match the gender of the person you are referring to. Use un collaborateur for a male colleague and une collaboratrice for a female colleague. The article (un/une) and the noun ending must agree.

This term is almost exclusively used in a professional, corporate, or project-based setting. It emphasizes a sense of teamwork and shared goals, making it a popular choice in company communications and formal discussions about team members.

💡 * Je dois organiser une réunion avec mon nouveau collaborateur.

• Marie est une excellente collaboratrice ; son travail est toujours impeccable.
• L'entreprise valorise l'esprit d'équipe de tous ses collaborateurs.
• Ma collaboratrice et moi travaillons sur le même projet.

The general 'worker' – un/une travailleur/travailleuse

The most direct and standard term for 'worker' in French is un travailleur (masculine) or une travailleuse (feminine). This noun comes directly from the verb travailler, which means 'to work'.

It is grammatically essential to match the noun's gender to the person. Use un travailleur when referring to a male worker and une travailleuse for a female worker. This applies to singular and plural forms (des travailleurs, des travailleuses).

This is a neutral and versatile term, appropriate for nearly all contexts, from formal legal documents to everyday conversations. It's the default word for 'worker' when you aren't specifying a particular profession.

Travailleur/travailleuse is a broad term that covers anyone who performs labor for payment, regardless of the field. It's more general than specific terms like un employé (an employee, typically in an office) or un ouvrier (a manual laborer).

💡 * Mon père était un travailleur dans le bâtiment. (My father was a construction worker.)

• C'est une travailleuse sociale très dévouée. (She is a very dedicated social worker.)
• Les travailleurs de l'usine ont demandé une augmentation. (The factory workers asked for a raise.)
• En tant que travailleur indépendant, je fixe mes propres horaires. (As a freelance worker, I set my own hours.)

The 'executive' or 'manager' – un/une cadre

When navigating the French professional landscape, one of the most important terms you'll encounter is un/une cadre. This word is the standard way to refer to an executive, manager, or a white-collar professional with significant responsibilities.

While un cadre literally translates to 'a frame,' in a business context it denotes a member of the management or professional staff. The term is used for both men (un cadre) and women (une cadre), though the spelling remains the same. It distinguishes these professionals from non-managerial employees (employés) or blue-collar workers (ouvriers).

In France, being a cadre is more than a job title—it's a legally recognized status. Cadres often have different employment contracts, typically a forfait jours where they are paid a salary for a set number of days per year rather than for a 35-hour week. This status implies a higher level of autonomy, responsibility, and often, social standing.

The word cadre is frequently combined with other nouns to create specific job titles. For example, you might see cadre commercial for a sales executive, cadre supérieur for a senior manager, or jeune cadre for a junior executive. It signifies a level of seniority within a department.

💡 * Elle est cadre supérieure dans une grande banque.

• En tant que cadre, il a plus de responsabilités.
• Nous cherchons à recruter un jeune cadre dynamique pour notre équipe.
• Le statut de cadre en France offre certains avantages sociaux.

1. The 'subordinate' – un/une subordonné(e)

The term un/une subordonné(e) is the direct French equivalent of 'a subordinate'. It is a formal word used to describe a person who is in a lower rank or position within a hierarchy, most commonly in a professional, corporate, or military setting.

This noun must agree in gender with the person it refers to. For a male, you use un subordonné, and for a female, you use une subordonnée. The plural forms are des subordonnés (masculine or mixed group) and des subordonnées (all-female group).

While grammatically correct, the term can sound quite rigid. In many modern workplaces, people often prefer more collaborative terms like un collaborateur / une collaboratrice (a collaborator/colleague) or un membre de mon équipe (a member of my team).

💡 * Le manager doit évaluer la performance de chaque subordonné. (The manager must evaluate the performance of each subordinate.)

• Marie est la principale subordonnée de Monsieur Dubois. (Marie is Mr. Dubois's main subordinate.)
• Il entretient de bonnes relations avec ses subordonnés. (He maintains good relationships with his subordinates.)

The 'intern' or 'trainee' – un/une stagiaire

The 'intern' or 'trainee' – un/une stagiaire

In a professional or academic context, un/une stagiaire refers to an 'intern' or 'trainee'. This term describes someone, often a student, who is undertaking a temporary work placement, known as un stage, to gain practical experience in a specific field.

The word stagiaire is the same for both masculine and feminine forms. The gender is indicated by the article that precedes it: un stagiaire (a male intern) and une stagiaire (a female intern).

The internship or training period itself is called un stage. Therefore, a stagiaire is a person who is doing un stage.

💡 * L'entreprise a recruté une nouvelle stagiaire pour le département marketing.

• Je suis stagiaire dans un cabinet d'avocats cet été.
• Mon stage de fin d'études dure six mois.
• En tant que stagiaire, il apprend beaucoup sur le métier.

The 'agent' (in public service) – un/une agent/agente

In French, un agent (masculine) or une agente (feminine) is a common term for an employee or official, especially one working in the public sector or for a government body. It's a general term similar to 'officer,' 'official,' or 'public servant' in English, implying someone who acts on behalf of an organization.

The word must agree with the gender of the person it refers to. Use un agent for a man and une agente for a woman. The feminized form, une agente, is now standard and widely used, reflecting the modernization of professional titles in French.

The word agent is frequently combined with other nouns to specify a role. This is where you'll see it most often. Common examples include:

• un agent de police: a police officer
• un agent de la fonction publique: a civil servant
• un agent de sécurité: a security guard
• un agent municipal: a municipal employee or agent

While we're focusing on public service, be aware that agent can be used in other contexts, much like in English. For instance, un agent secret is a 'secret agent,' and un agent immobilier is a 'real estate agent.' The surrounding words will always clarify the specific meaning.

💡 * L'agent de police a vérifié mon identité. (The police officer checked my identity.)

• Une agente de la mairie nous a renseignés sur les démarches. (A municipal agent informed us about the procedures.)
• Il travaille comme agent de la fonction publique depuis dix ans. (He has been working as a civil servant for ten years.)
• L'agent de sécurité à l'entrée du bâtiment était très vigilant. (The security guard at the building entrance was very watchful.)

Are there other ways to say 'employee' in French?

Are there other ways to say “employee” in French?

Our list features the most essential words for “employee” in French. However, the professional world is full of specific jargon. You'll encounter different terms depending on the industry, the level of formality, and the type of contract.

You can find more specialized vocabulary by searching online for “vocabulaire professionnel” followed by a specific field, like “hôtellerie” or “informatique”.

You may find interesting synonyms for employé on other lists. Always check the precise definition and context. In a business setting, the difference between un salarié, un collaborateur, and un personnel can be significant.

Pay attention when you read French business news, watch reports, or browse professional networks like LinkedIn. You'll start to notice the subtle differences in how companies and individuals talk about their staff.

For more detailed distinctions, especially regarding legal and contractual terms, the WordReference forum for employé or official French government websites are excellent resources.

I hope this article has been useful for building your professional French vocabulary. Using the right term for an 'employee' not only shows your language skills but also your understanding of French work culture. Bonne continuation !