Consuming web service with return custom object

[dream_]

Hi to all.
I'm writing a method java around with i'll write a web service (with jdeveloper).
I want my method has this signature:

public Employee method1 (String str1)
{

}

where Employee is a private custom class I define in the same java source of method1 (I'm writing a java class with a method and than with jdeveloper automatically I'll wrap this class in a web service).
Question is: how can consumer of my web service use returned object (of custom class Employee) if he does not know this custom class?
Class Employee is private in java source...

when he calls web service i think he'll have similar as follows:

Employee em= webServ.method1("test");

but he does not know Employee class. How could he use retuned object of web service?
Thanks

[toadaly]

Your Employee class should either extend a known class, or implement a known interface (preferred).

It is possible to use reflection in cases like this, but it's sloppy as hell and will break the second someone changes anything.