ordinary employee; rank-and-file worker; mere clerk
Refers to a regular employee without a managerial title or special rank. Often used in contrast to 管理職 (managerial positions). The gloss 'mere clerk' can sound dismissive; the Japanese term itself is neutral but can carry a humble or self-deprecating tone depending on context.
He was promoted from an ordinary employee to section chief.
We should also value the opinions of rank-and-file employees.
A more formal synonym for 'ordinary employee', often used in official contexts. 平の社員 is slightly more colloquial.
Compound of 平 (ひら, 'flat, ordinary') + の (possessive particle) + 社員 (しゃいん, 'company employee'). The 平 here means 'without rank or title', giving the sense of a regular, non-managerial employee.