worker bee

1. Literally, a female bee lacking the reproductive abilities of the queen bee who gathers nectar and pollen from flowers and brings it back to the hive as food for larvae. Without a constant diet of royal jelly, the larvae develop into sexually immature worker bees, who then go on to collect food for the hive.

2. An employee of lower rank, responsibility, or duty in a company or organization who nevertheless works diligently or assiduously. Peering down on the warehouse from the manager's office, you can see the hundreds of worker bees throughout the facility filling orders, replenishing stock, taking inventory, and all the other duties necessary to keep such a large operation running smoothly. I was tired of being nothing but a worker bee in a giant, faceless corporation, so I decided to go out on my own as a consultant.