In the armies of days gone by, the ordinary foot soldiers formed up in lines where they stood shoulder to shoulder, which were called ranks, or in lines where they stood one behind the other, which were called files. This terminology has been carried forward in the description of the chessboard.
But for the purposes of this expression, the "rank and file" soldiers were the soldiers who formed up in ranks and files, which is to say, the ordinary infantrymen. They were just regular guys, with nothing much to distinguish them on the face of it. If one got killed, another one would take his place.
By analogy, rank and file employees are that large group of undistinguished employees who are essential as a group but not as individuals, as infantrymen were.
Skype also wants to become a place where deals are made by CEOs and rank-and-file employees alike.
This usually refers to a union members. "rank and file" membership are those in the union who are non-administrative members.Political Parties sometimes have "rank and file" membersIt can also traditionally mean low-ranking soldiers.
When referring to the rank and file as a noun, no. For example: "The rank and file defied union leadership." However when used as an adjective or a modifier, then yes. "He needs rank-and-file support."
The company president lorded it over the rank-and-file.
Rank is shoulder to shoulder, file is one behind another.
An employee can always file a grievance after declining union representation.An employee can file a grievance after declining union representation.
A rank and file voter refers to an ordinary, average citizen who is not affiliated with a political party or organization. They are typically not involved in the leadership or decision-making processes of a party but play a crucial role in the democratic process by casting their vote and shaping the outcome of elections.
If by "file," you mean contact the worker's compensation carrier and provide notice of an accident and the resulting injury, then yes. If you're referring to filing a claim, called a Petitions for Benefits in Florida, then no. The Petition requires the signature of the employee/claimant and their attorney.
A rank refers to a horizontal row of foot soldiers as viewed from above, where a file refers to a vertical column of foot soldiers as viewed from above. A rank literally means a row of soldiers.
Employee
A senior employee could be anything from a supervisor to a manager. Someone who has a fairly high rank in the organisation.
yes