Employee has a "buffer"... what could this mean?

[Pusheenicorn]

I work in HR but have never come across this term before and Google hasn't come up with anything either so must be an informal or slang term I guess.

A supervisor at DPs work said "Oh well Dave will never leave because he has a buffer with the boss man".

It's not a very large company with no formal HR department so I would be surprised if it was some sort of formal staggered wage increase agreement...

What do you think it could be?

Is it not just a way of saying leeway?

So the employee has a slightly easier ride because they're friendly with the boss.

Or the employee has the dirt on the boss, and knows where the bodies are buried.

Ah yes that does make sense actually.

Perhaps an agreement that he doesn't have to do the call outs or doesn't have his van tracker checking or something would make sense...

Typo and its butler??

Or a buffet?

Could it be “is a buffer” rather than “has a buffer”. If so could mean Dave is the buffer zone between the boss and the others, as in Dave has the respect of both and can negotiate between the two.