Crossword Genius

Dependable but left out, is worker acknowledged? (3-6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

soi-disant

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'dependable but left out' is the definition.
The definition suggests an adjective which matches the answer.

'is worker acknowledged?' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'is' is present in the answer.
'worker' could be 'ant' (worker is a type of ant) and 'ant' is found within the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Another definition for soi-disant that I've seen is " Self-styled".)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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