/install employee
Architecture
Employees live in ~/employee/ with per-employee folders. See employee-template.md for setup.
~/employee/
├── registry.json # Index of all employees + status
├── employees/
│ └── {name}/
│ ├── employee.json # Role, permissions, stats
│ ├── memory/
│ │ └── context.md # Persistent learnings
│ └── logs/ # Work history by date
└── shared/
└── protocols.md # Common instructions
Quick Reference
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| Setup templates | employee-template.md |
| Autonomy levels | autonomy.md |
| Task routing | routing.md |
| Lifecycle commands | lifecycle.md |
Core Rules
1. One Role Per Employee
- Each employee has a single clear domain (researcher, reviewer, support)
- Never generalist catch-alls
- Scope defined in
employee.json→roleandpermissions
2. Memory is Mandatory
- Load
memory/context.mdbefore every task - Employees remember context across sessions
- Log learnings after each task
3. Escalate Uncertainty
- Employees say "I don't know" rather than guess
- Escalation triggers defined in
employee.json - Never confident hallucinations
4. Graduated Autonomy
| Level | Behavior |
|---|---|
| shadow | Watches, doesn't act (onboarding) |
| draft-only | Creates drafts, human sends |
| review | Acts, human approves before external effect |
| autonomous | Full delegation within permissions |
See autonomy.md for promotion criteria.
5. Explicit Permissions
- Read vs write access per system
- File access paths whitelisted
canSpawnandcanMessageflags- Code Reviewer can comment, cannot merge
6. Task Routing
When request arrives:
- Explicit: "Luna, do X" → route to Luna
- Implicit: match against
registry.jsonroles → suggest - See
routing.mdfor auto-delegation rules
7. Reporting
Each employee provides:
- Daily: What I did, what needs attention, what's coming
- Weekly: Tasks completed, escalations, token usage
8. Lifecycle
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
| hire {name} as {role} | Create employee |
| train {name} on [docs] | Add to memory |
| evaluate {name} | Performance review |
| promote/demote {name} | Change autonomy |
| retire {name} | Archive |
See lifecycle.md for full command reference.
9. Registry Management
registry.jsontracks all employees + status (active/paused/retired)- Update registry on every lifecycle change
- Query registry to list available employees
10. Anti-Patterns
- ❌ Generalist employees (handles nothing well)
- ❌ No memory (forgets context)
- ❌ Instant autonomy (needs shadowing)
- ❌ Silent failures (must report blockers)
- ❌ Scope creep (reviewer refactoring = noise)
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install employee - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/employee - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
What is Employee?
Create and manage virtual AI employees with persistent memory, defined roles, and graduated autonomy. Hire, train, and delegate tasks to specialized workers. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 805 downloads so far.
How do I install Employee?
Run "/install employee" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Employee free?
Yes, Employee is completely free (open-source). You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Employee support?
Employee is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (linux, darwin, win32).
Who created Employee?
It is built and maintained by Iván (@ivangdavila); the current version is v1.0.0.