Overseer

An overseer is a person who supervises others, directing work and ensuring tasks are completed according to standards. The term implies authority to assign tasks, monitor performance, enforce rules, and report to higher management. In contemporary organizations the role is typically described as supervisor, manager, foreman, or team lead, though "overseer" is still found in some industries and in historical contexts.

The word derives from over and see, meaning to look over a place or group from above. It has appeared in English since the Middle Ages and has taken on various shades of meaning depending on social and institutional context.

Historically, an overseer was a person in charge of slave labor on plantations, responsible for directing enslaved workers and enforcing discipline. The role is controversial and generally considered a symbol of coercive control in the history of slavery. In modern workplaces, overseer-like duties emphasize task direction, safety oversight, quality control, and productivity, often within a defined supervisory hierarchy.

In some Christian denominations, the term overseer is used for church leadership. The New Testament term episkopos is commonly translated as overseer or bishop, reflecting a governance role that may resemble that of elders or pastors. The exact duties and authority attributed to overseers vary among denominations and historical periods.