This whole "associate" thing has been going on for a while now.
"Welcome to Kinko's. One of our associates will help you with those 4 copies you need." - No, cheesedick, an associate of Kinko's would be the guy who got together with Mr Kinko and figured out what interest rate he was going to charge him on that money Kinko needed to borrow. An employee is an employee -ain't nuffin wrong wit dat.
It's just another in a long list of words that LIBTARDS change because they think the original, perfectly OK word is somehow insulting - this shows what their shitty warped elitist mindset really is, THEY think that a plumber is some pathetic dumb loser, so they think that calling him a plumber (which is what he is, and it's a perfectly respectable trade) will be taken as some kind of insult, so they change it to "water sanitation technician" or some shit.
See also:
Stewardess - Flight Attendant
Waiter - Server (never understood that one)
Janitor - Custodian, or Custodian Technician, or The Custodial Arts

(made that one up...I think)
Substitute Teacher - Debate Coach
Secretary - Administrative Assistant, or "admin", as my libtard indoctrinated ex-girlfriend used to say ("My friend Sarah works in the Citi building, she's an admin".....A what?......"An admin. She helps one of the VPs with his daily stuff"......Oh, so a secretary?......"No, an admin") Dumb bitch
THIS IS YOUR LEFT