雇主

• Pinyin: gù zhǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 雇 = 户 + 隹 — to hire; 主 = 丶 (flame/dot) + 王 (king) — master, main party, the one in charge

Meaning

An employer; the party that hires and pays workers. Used in formal, legal, and business contexts to refer to the entity or person who engages employees.

The formal counterpart to 雇员 (employee) in legal and contractual language. 雇主 can refer to both individual employers (e.g., a household employing a domestic worker) and corporate employers. In labor law discussions, 雇主 and 雇员 form a standard pair. More formal than 老板 (boss) or 用人单位 (employing unit).

Examples

1. 雇主应当为雇员提供符合安全标准的工作环境，不得以任何理由拒绝履行这一法定义务。 Employers must provide employees with a workplace that meets safety standards and may not refuse to fulfill this legal obligation for any reason.
2. 劳动争议仲裁委员会对雇主的违规行为作出了处罚决定。 The labor dispute arbitration commission issued a penalty decision for the employer’s violations.
3. 雇主无权单方面更改已签订合同中的薪资和工时条款。 An employer has no right to unilaterally change the salary and working-hours terms in a signed contract.

Usage Guide

Context: law, labor relations, HR, business, contracts

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在劳动争议中，雇主若无法提供书面合同，将承担举证不能的法律风险。(In labor disputes, if the employer cannot produce a written contract, they will bear the legal risk of failing to provide proof.)
• 雇主与雇员双方都应遵守劳动合同中明确规定的权利和义务。(Both the employer and employee should abide by the rights and obligations clearly stipulated in the labor contract.)

Don't Say

• 将'雇主'与'领导'或'上司'混用 — 雇主 is a legal term for the employing party; 领导 refers to leadership or management and 上司 refers to one's direct supervisor

Origin & History

雇 (to hire) + 主 (master; main party; host). Together: the main party in a hiring relationship — the employer.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professional and formal contexts