Delaware Code Title 19. Labor § 1702. Definitions

(1) “Employee” means a person employed full or part-time by any employer, and shall include, but not be limited to, at-will employees, contract employees, independent contractors, and volunteer firefighters as defined in § 6651(c) of Title 16.

(2) “Employer” means any person, partnership, association, sole proprietorship, corporation or other business entity, including any department, agency, commission, committee, board, council, bureau, or authority or any subdivision of them in state, county or municipal government.  One shall employ another if services are performed for wages or under any contract of hire, written or oral, express or implied.

(3) “Person” means an individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, association, or any other legal entity.

(4) “Public body” means all of the following:

a. A state-wide elected official, agency, department, division, bureau, board, commission, council, authority, or other body in the executive branch of state government or employee of them;

b. A legislator or employee of the legislative branch of state government;

c. An elected official of a county, city, or school district or employee of them;

d. A law-enforcement agency or employee of that law-enforcement agency;  and

e. A federal agency or employee of that federal agency.

(5) “Supervisor” means any individual to whom an employer has given the authority to direct and control the work performance of the affected employee or any individual who has the authority to take corrective action regarding the violation of a law, rule or regulation about which the employee complains.

(6) “Violation” means an act or omission by an employer, or an agent thereof, that is:

a. Materially inconsistent with, and a serious deviation from, standards implemented pursuant to a law, rule, or regulation promulgated under the laws of this State, a political subdivision of this State, or the United States, to protect employees or other persons from health, safety, or environmental hazards while on the employer's premises or elsewhere; or

b. Materially inconsistent with, and a serious deviation from, financial management or accounting standards implemented pursuant to a rule or regulation promulgated by the employer or a law, rule, or regulation promulgated under the laws of this State, a political subdivision of this State, or the United States, to protect any person from fraud, deceit, or misappropriation of public or private funds or assets under the control of the employer.