Shain (社員) is the everyday Japanese word for a company employee. In law, the same word means a member of a company or an association. The encyclopedia Nipponica notes that in everyday use the word means an employee. The encyclopedia MyPedia adds that an employee called shain is not a shain in the legal sense.
The Digital Daijisen defines the legal shain as a member of an incorporated association. In a stock company, it adds, these members are called kabunushi, shareholders.