rank-and-file employee; regular employee
Refers to a non-managerial employee in a company, as opposed to 管理職 (managerial staff).
He was promoted from a rank-and-file employee to section chief.
The opinions of regular employees should also be reflected in management.
一般社員 is a more formal, official term for a regular employee, while 平社員 is the everyday, slightly self-deprecating word for the same rank.
Compound of 一般 (general, ordinary) and 社員 (company employee).