company man

noun

1. an employee whose allegiance to his employer comes before personal beliefs or loyalty to fellow workers.

company man

noun

1. an employee who puts allegiance to the company for which he works above personal opinion or friendship

Word History and Origins

Origin of company man¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Idioms and Phrases

A male worker more loyal to management than to his fellow workers; also, one who informs on fellow employees. For example, He'll never join in a strike; he's a company man . Dating from the 1920s, a period of considerable labor unrest, this term uses company in the sense of “a business concern” and was often applied as a criticism by supporters of labor unions.

Example Sentences

He's described as a "company man - an institutional champion who's privately embraced the draconian tactics of an antiquated and often vicious institution".

From BBC

The elder Picard, at his core, is a company man through and through, and even in trying to guide Jack, all roads lead back to Starfleet, despite its being obviously not a good fit.

From New York Times

She longed to join her father, who, after years as a company man, had taken up reindeer herding.

From Washington Post

It’s both predictable and sad because Beal has been as good a company man as any team or community could want.

From Washington Post

Departing Intel after 30 years as a company man hurt badly.

From New York Times