while employed by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "while employed by" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate the time period during which someone worked for a specific employer or organization. Example: "She developed her skills in graphic design while employed by a leading advertising agency."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

While employed by Philip Morris, she got the idea of making them herself.

The New Yorker

When Peggy Young got pregnant while employed by UPS, her bosses placed her on unpaid leave.

The Guardian - Money

220, struck out item 6112 "Pay: officers; withheld while employed by certain contractors".

Cornell University

They all incubated their business ideas while employed by someone else.

Harvard Business Review

In the 1980s Tansi wrote novels, plays, and poetry while employed by the Congolese Ministry of Culture.

Britannica

"After a while I realised that there are things I could say and many more that I couldn't say while employed by the Kenya Wildlife Service.

The Guardian

Often, they still managed the same Harvard assets they did while employed by the university, but they were free to manage the assets of other institutions as well.

The New York Times

He proudly showed me a work by a famous photographer — a gift from his cousin, who stole it while employed by the artist's foundation.

The New York Times - Magazine

While employed by the league, the replacements were bound by its standard media policy, meaning they could not do interviews even as consternation over their performance grew.

The New York Times - Sports

He studied Al Qaeda's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction and even spent a few months (while employed by the defense contractor Lockheed Martin) at Guantánamo Bay.

The New York Times

The employee was Steve Scarnecchia, identified by the N.F.L. as one of those who made improper videotapes while employed by the Patriots.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "while employed by" to clearly indicate the period during which someone was working for a specific organization, especially when describing actions or events that occurred during that time.

Common error

Avoid using "while employed by" when the timing is unclear or irrelevant. If the context already establishes the period of employment, a simpler phrase like "at" or "with" might be more concise.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "while employed by" functions as a prepositional phrase that introduces an adverbial clause of time. As seen in Ludwig's examples, it modifies a verb by specifying when an action occurred in relation to someone's employment.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Academia

25%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

8%

Wiki

7%

Science

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "while employed by" is a versatile phrase used to establish the temporal context of events occurring during someone's employment. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and widely used in diverse sources, ranging from news articles and academic papers to encyclopedias. For alternatives, consider phrases like "during employment at" or "when working for", but ensure the replacement maintains the intended level of formality and clarity. Remember to use this phrase when clarifying that a specific action took place during a period of employment, and avoid it when the timing is already clear from the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

during employment at

Replaces "while" with "during" and uses "at" instead of "by" to specify the employer, slightly more formal.

as an employee of

Directly states the relationship as an employee, removing the temporal aspect of "while".

when working for

Substitutes "employed by" with "working for", which is more informal and emphasizes the action of working.

in the employment of

Similar to "as an employee of" but slightly more formal.

during tenure with

Uses "tenure" to imply a more formal or extended period of employment.

under the employ of

A more formal and somewhat archaic way of saying "employed by".

in the service of

Implies a sense of duty or official capacity in the role.

when in the service of

Combines a temporal marker with the idea of serving an organization.

previously with

Focuses on past employment, implying the person is no longer with the organization.

formerly at

Similar to "previously with", indicating a past work affiliation.

FAQs

How can I use "while employed by" in a sentence?

Use "while employed by" to specify that something happened during a person's tenure at a company. For example, "She gained valuable experience "while employed by" the marketing firm".

What are some alternatives to "while employed by"?

Alternatives include "during employment at", "when working for", or "during tenure with", depending on the desired level of formality and emphasis.

Is it correct to say "whilst employed by" instead of "while employed by"?

Both "while" and "whilst" are grammatically correct, but "while" is more commonly used in modern English. "Whilst employed by" is acceptable but may sound slightly more formal or archaic.

What is the difference between "while employed by" and "after being employed by"?

"While employed by" indicates an action occurred during the period of employment, whereas "after being employed by" refers to something that happened after the employment ended. The former focuses on concurrent events; the latter, on subsequent ones.