History Main / WhiteCollarWorker

* Most of the cast of ''NineToFive''. The heroines are stuck in "pink-collar" positions.
* ''OfficeSpace''; the characters are mostly computer programmers.
* The narrator in ''FightClub'', though he actually goes into detail about his job and is seen doing it.
* [[TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]] becomes one of these after the SuperRegistrationAct. He hates it there.

* Most of the cast of ''TheOffice'', both [[TheBBC British]] and [[Creator/{{NBC}} American]] versions. Unlike some of the other examples here, we do know Wernham-Hogg/Dunder Mifflin's business: they sell paper.
** However, that fact is, at the end of the day, more or less irrelevant to the story, as evidenced by the fact that the [[TransAtlanticEquivalent German equivalent]], ''Series/{{Stromberg}}'', is set at an insurance firm, with essentially no change to the dynamics or humor of the show (except being ''[[CaptainObvious much]]'' [[GermanHumour more German]]).

* For the first seven years of ''{{Friends}}'', Chandler Bing worked an unstated office job at an unknown company. [[LampshadeHanging Even Rachel and Monica don't know what he does]]. Whatever it was, he was important enough to have his own office.
** He started (in the first season) in a cubicle processing data related to resource utilization, and was soon promoted to a supervisory position in the same company and department.
* [[TheDrewCareyShow Drew Carey]] and his co-workers on his show.
* Ditto ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}''. He's also a software engineer.

* [[TheJetsons George Jetson]].
* ''ThatSeventiesShow'' had an episode in which Kelso's father attempts to explain precisely what his job entails. It becomes depressingly evident that even he isn't sure anymore.
* The cast of the Fred Savage show ''Working'', which not only left the workers' positions and duties vague, but never explained what, if anything, the '''company''' did.

* Wesley Gibbs of ''{{Wanted}}'' starts out this way. Then [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive the call found him]]...
* The father of the family in ''{{Weesh}}''; another one who's lost track of what precisely it is he does.
* BetterOffTed has Veridian Dynamics, which appears to do or own another company that does almost anything. Most of the characters in the show work in the research and development department though.
* Edward Borman in ''TheMercuryMen''.
* Vernon Dursley in ''Literature/HarryPotter''. His company makes drills.
** Vernon's position appears to be that of PointyHairedBoss, rather than an office drone.

* Similarly, in the Italian BlackComedy WorkCom ''CameraCafe'', many characters are borderline {{workaholic}}s, with [[ButtMonkey Silvano]] being the most obvious example.

* The weather reporter in ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'' is fed up with his job.
--> "And now that that's all done with, please enjoy this song from Lonestar, while I sit in my little cubicle, only being paid minimum wage to tell you ungrateful fools this stuff!"

As office machinery such as the typewriter, adding machine, mimeograph etc. became available starting in the latter half of the Nineteenth Century, clerical workers began shifting their skill sets from the {{Clerk}} to the modern White Collar Worker. In particular, many women joined the workforce, though they tended to be stuck in the lower-ranked and lower-paying office jobs, though opportunities for advancement have improved greatly.

As office machinery such as the typewriter, adding machine, mimeograph etc. became available starting in the latter half of the Nineteenth Century, clerical workers began shifting their skill sets from the {{Clerk}} to the modern White Collar Worker. In particular, many women joined the workforce, though they tended to be stuck in the lower-ranked and lower-paying office jobs. (Though opportunities for advancement have improved greatly, social pressures have not. As such, low-level clerical staff are still overwhelmingly female, as are certain functions such as Human Resources and Marketing, leading to the term "pink-collar" jobs.)

* Vernon Dursley in ''HarryPotter''. His company makes drills.

* Ditto ''{{Dilbert}}''. He's also a software engineer.

----

The White Collar Worker is a staple of the WorkCom, but can be found in any work of fiction that requires office scenes. Subtypes of the White Collar Worker include {{Workaholic}} and SassySecretary.

* Most of the cast of ''TheOffice'', both [[TheBBC British]] and [[{{NBC}} American]] versions. Unlike some of the other examples here, we do know Wernham-Hogg/Dunder Mifflin's business: they sell paper.

* Most of the cast of ''NineToFive''. The heroines are stuck in "pink-collar" positions.
* For the first seven years of ''{{Friends}}'', Chandler Bing worked an unstated office job at an unknown company. [[{{LampshadeHanging}} Even Rachel and Monica don't know what he does]]. Whatever it was, he was important enough to have his own office.

* The cast of the Fred Savage show ''Working'', which not only left the workers' positions and duties vague, but never explained what, if anything, the '''company''' did.

* Wesley Gibbs of ''{{Wanted}}'' starts out this way. Then [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive the call found him]]...

<<|StockCharacters|>>

* The music video to "''Voices''" by {{Disturbed}} is based around somebody in such a position ready to snap, partially because of the [[HearingVoices voices telling him to]].

** However, that fact is, at the end of the day, more or less irrelevant to the story, as evidenced by the fact that the [[TransAtlanticEquivalent German equivalent]], ''{{Stromberg}}'', is set at an insurance firm, with essentially no change to the dynamics or humor of the show (except being ''[[CaptainObvious much]]'' [[GermanHumour more German]]).

* Vernon Dursley in ''HarryPotter''.

* Edward Boran in ''TheMercuryMen''.

* Edward Boran in ''TheMysteryMen''.

* The cast of the Fred Savage show ''{{Working}}'', which not only left the workers' positions and duties vague, but never explained what, if anything, the '''company''' did.

Compare their Japanese counterparts, the {{Salaryman}} and OfficeLady. Contrast the BlueCollarWorker.

A modern office employee. The name derives from mid-20th Century; factory laborers typically wore blue work shirts or other uniforms, while managers and technical or professional staff wore white business shirts and ties.

A modern office employee.

As office machinery such as the typewriter, adding machine, mimeograph etc. became available starting in the latter half of the Nineteenth Century, clerical workers began shifting their skill sets from the {{Clerk}} to the modern White Collar Worker. In particular, many women joined the workforce, though they tended to be stuck in the lower-ranked and lower-paying office jobs. (Things have improved greatly, but the tendency remains, and these are sometimes known as "pink-collar" jobs.)

[[OfficeSpace http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/office-space.jpg]]
[[caption-width:282:I believe you have my [[TheRedStapler stapler...]]]]

* The cast of the Fred Savage show ''Working'', which not only left the workers' positions and duties vague, but never explained what, if anything, the '''company''' did.

* Wesley Gibbs of {{Wanted}} starts out this way. Then [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive the call found him]]...

** However, that fact is, at the end of the day, more or less irrelevant to the story, as evidenced by the fact that the [[TransAtlanticEquivalent German equivalent]], ''{{Stromberg}}'', is set at an insurance firm, with essentially no change to the dynamics or humor of the show (except being ''[[CaptainObvious much]] [[GermanHumour more German]]).

** However, that fact is, at the end of the day, more or less irrelevant to the story, as evidenced by the fact that the [[TransAtlanticEquivalent German equivalent]], ''{{Stromberg}}'', is set at an insurance firm, with essentially no change to the dynamics or humor of the show.