The Female Counterpart to Salaryman

If サラリーマン (salaryman) is Japan’s iconic term for male office workers, OL is its female counterpart. Short for “office lady” (オフィスレディー), this wasei-eigo has been part of Japanese workplace vocabulary for over 60 years.

The term typically describes women in clerical or administrative roles — answering phones, serving tea to guests, handling paperwork, and supporting the office. While this image has evolved significantly, the word OL still carries echoes of these traditional expectations.

A Name Born From a Magazine Poll

OL has a fascinating origin story. Before OL, the common term was “BG” — short for “business girl.” However, in 1963, the women’s magazine 女性自身 (Josei Jishin) pointed out that “BG” had an unfortunate double meaning in English slang (it could mean “bar girl”). The magazine ran a reader poll to find a replacement, and “OL” — office lady — won decisively. The term spread rapidly and has been standard ever since.

Fun Fact

The concept of OL is gradually fading in modern Japan. Younger generations find the term outdated and even sexist, since it defines women by their gender rather than their role. Many companies now use gender-neutral titles. Still, OL lives on in pop culture — “OLあるある” (OL relatable moments) is a hugely popular genre on social media, and OL characters remain a staple of manga and anime.