company man

American  

noun

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

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company man British  

noun

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

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company man Idioms  

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of company man

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

With so much time spent clawing at his imagined future, Man-su loses sight of the company man title from his past.

From Salon • Oct. 7, 2025

Unlike Scott, Tillman worked in corporate office roles prior to becoming an actor and landing his breakthrough role as company man Milchick.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2025

Sean Hannity, for his part, is the consummate company man, a necessary force of continuity in the network’s prime-time lineup.

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2023

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 • Mar. 16, 2023

“Dubonnet’s a union rabble-rouser. I don’t want you talking to him anymore. I’m a company man, and that makes you a company boy, understand?”

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam