What refers to the employer's ability to dictate how an individual performs their job?

The term that best refers to the employer's ability to dictate how an individual performs their job is "Control." In the context of employment, control indicates the level of influence and authority an employer has over the employee's work processes and methods. This encompasses not just what tasks the employee needs to complete, but also how those tasks should be executed, including the means, manner, and timing of their performance.

Control is a critical concept in employment law, particularly when distinguishing between employees and independent contractors. An employer exercising significant control over how a worker completes their duties suggests that a traditional employer-employee relationship exists, which has legal implications regarding liability, benefits, and tax obligations.

While direction and supervision involve guiding and overseeing work, they do not fully encompass the wider scope of an employer's authority over the specifics of job performance. Authority refers more generally to the power an employer holds, which can include aspects of control, but does not specify the direct influence over job performance as precisely as "Control" does.