Office Lady, often abbreviated O.L. (Japanese: オーエル), is a female office worker in Japan who performs low-skill tasks such as serving tea and clerical work. She receives a minimum wage and often lives with parents into the adulthood years due to the often high rents of apartments, thus may be considered by some to be a freeter (Japanese: フリーター). Office Ladies are often seen not as full-time or permanent staff, and some are pressured to leave their positions upon approaching the age of 30, which is currently considered by a large portion of the society to be the oldest possible age for marriage.

The OL phenonmenon is changing as more and more Japanese women pursue higher education, especially abroad. Also, a vast majority of new businesses are started by female entrepreneurs, who may be choosing to strike out on their own as an alternative to the traditional, conservative, male-dominated atmosphere of most established businesses.

External links

• The Office Lady in Japan by Jean Forrest (nonfiction essay)