The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word WORKFORCE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
W
O
R
K
F
O
R
C
E
More clues leading to the result WORKFORCE
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "employees" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case employees = workforce.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does WORKFORCE mean?
WORKFORCE noun- All the workers employed by a specific organization or state, or on a specific project
- The total population of a country or region that is employed or employable.