> I thought 'staffer' was only used when talking about people working in government or for a political party.
Nope.
> Aren't 'staff' or 'employees' just as good for the headline?
No. Staff has a different connotation; as a mass noun, it implies things that are true generally* of the staff. “Employees” would be about as good as “staffers”; the latter is shorter, though, which often is preferable in headlines.
Nope.
> Aren't 'staff' or 'employees' just as good for the headline?
No. Staff has a different connotation; as a mass noun, it implies things that are true generally* of the staff. “Employees” would be about as good as “staffers”; the latter is shorter, though, which often is preferable in headlines.