History Main / WhiteCollarWorker

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': Flash Slothmore works at the Department of Mammal Vehicles, an agency in charge of vehicle registration and driver licensing. The film's protagonists go there to learn a vital clue for their investigation -- who was the owner of the vehicle a disappeared person was last seen. Flash is the sloth from who they get the information, albeit extremely slowly since he is a sloth. He and his (sloth) co-workers are a [[ParodiedTrope parody]] of the white-collar workers.

* [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]] becomes one of these (specifically, an insurance agent) after the SuperRegistrationAct. He ''really'' hates the job, no thanks to his obnoxious jerk of a boss and the overall drabness.

Subtropes include CorruptCorporateExecutive, DitzySecretary, HonestCorporateExecutive, HighPoweredCareerWoman, OfficeLady, OperatorFromIndia, {{Paperworkaholic}}, PowersuitMonkey, PluckyOfficeGirl, {{Salaryman}}, SassySecretary, TechBro, {{Workaholic}}, and {{Yuppie}}

Subtropes include CorruptCorporateExecutive, DitzySecretary, HonestCorporateExecutive, HighPoweredCareerWoman, OfficeLady, OperatorFromIndia, Paperworkaholic, PowersuitMonkey, PluckyOfficeGirl, {{Salaryman}}, SassySecretary, TechBro, {{Workaholic}}, and {{Yuppie}}

The White Collar Worker is a staple of the WorkCom, but can be found in any work of fiction that requires office scenes.
The natural habitat of the White Collar Worker is the office cubicle. Their natural enemies include bosses of all kinds except "{{benevolent|Boss}}" and their more obnoxious co-workers. As for their work...well, white collar jobs are kind of boring to look at most of the time, and one set of paperwork looks much like another. So the details of the work are usually not examined closely. Indeed, often the exact position or job description of the characters will deliberately be left vague. This gives greater plot flexibility, especially when the PointyHairedBoss decides to give the hero some wacky project that would seem to have little to do with the job, normally.

Subtropes include CorruptCorporateExecutive, DitzySecretary, HonestCorporateExectutive, HighPoweredCareerWoman, OfficeLady, OperatorFromIndia, Paperworkaholic, PowersuitMonkey, PluckyOfficeGirl, {{Salaryman}}, SassySecretary, TechBro, {{Workaholic}}, and {{Yuppie}}

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}}, the PluckyOfficeGirl, HighPoweredCareerWoman, and SassySecretary.

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

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}}, the PluckyOfficeGirl and SassySecretary.

* William Foster in ''Film/FallingDown'' used to be one of these, an engineer at a defense contractor who was laid off with [[WhyWeAreBummedCommunismFell the end of the Cold War]] but still dresses the part even with his downward spiral. By all impressions, the drudgery of his office job was the only thing that gave him any structure and meaning to his life, and when he lost that, he lost his family, his home, and eventually [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy his sanity]].

* The Unnamed Narrator in ''Film/FightClub'' started off as one, though he actually goes into detail about his job and is seen doing it. His dull and boring life there leads to him [[spoiler:essentially developing a split personality]].

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.

%% * In ''Film/OfficeSpace'', the characters are mostly computer programmers.
%% * The narrator in ''Film/FightClub'', though he actually goes into detail about his job and is seen doing it.
%% * [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]] becomes one of these after the SuperRegistrationAct. He hates it there.

* ''Film/TheCrowd'' : A very early film example, showing the main character at his desk, with some vaguely defined job that involves scribbling numbers in a ledger.

** In "Christmas Show", the much harassed woman in charge of gift exchanges has an office to herself. Over the course of the episode, Miss Brooks, Mr. Conklin and Mr. Boynton repeatedly pay her a visit.

* Most of the cast of ''The Office'', both [[Series/TheOfficeUK British]] and [[Series/TheOfficeUS 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 ransAtlanticEquivalent German equivalent]], ''Series/{{Stromberg}}'', is set at an insurance firm, with essentially no change to the dynamics or humor of the show (except being ''much'' [[GermanHumour more German]]).

* 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.

* Barney Stintson in ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', whose job involves wearing a snazzy suit, sitting in an office (with an en-suite bathroom!), and sometimes threatening war with North Korea. In the final season it is revealed that his actual job is [[spoiler: being the company's patsy. His signature is on all the company documents and when the FBI inevitably starts investigating the company's incredibly illegal dealings, Barney will be framed as the mastermind of it all. Subverted, because Barney is well aware of this, and has actually been working with the Feds as a plan to get revenge on the jerk who stole his girlfriend.]]

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

* ''WebVideo/{{Dad}}'': Where exactly Dad works is never elaborated, but his white shirt, black tie, briefcase of office-supplies, and desire to be promoted to "executive worker" hints pretty strongly that he works in an average office setting, which apparently requires "eternal dedication to the corporation".

** However, that fact is, at the end of the day, more or less irrelevant to the story, as evidenced by the fact that the ransAtlanticEquivalent 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]]).

[[folder:Comic Books ]]
* Wesley Gibson of ''ComicBook/{{Wanted}}'' starts out this way. Then [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive the call found him]]...

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* Ditto ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}''. He's also a software engineer.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* 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!"
* Wheatley from ''VideoGame/Portal2'' already is this, albeit in A.I. form, but the fanfic ''Fanfic/BlueSky'' takes it to the next level and gets him to look the part, too.
[[/folder]]

* Most of the cast of ''Film/NineToFive''. The heroines are stuck in "pink-collar" positions.
* ''Film/OfficeSpace''; the characters are mostly computer programmers.
* The narrator in ''Film/FightClub'', though he actually goes into detail about his job and is seen doing it.
* [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]] becomes one of these after the SuperRegistrationAct. He hates it there.
* Italian BlackComedy movie series ''Film/{{Fantozzi}}'' has the titular ButtMonkey-slash-ChewToy protagonist, Ugo Fantozzi, showing very clearly to be one, to the point the movie series is mostly known in English languages as ''White Collar Blues''.
* The 2010 independent film ''Drones'', where office employees are frequently compared to bees (hence the title). The main character finds out that several of his coworkers are aliens working undercover.
* ''Film/WorkingGirl'' is a perfect example of this trope.

* Vernon Dursley in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' appears to be something in middle management rather than a mere drone, and probably [[MeanBoss not a very good one]], but [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible close enough]]; the line between the two sometimes gets a bit blurry anyway.

** 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 ''Series/{{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.
* [[Series/TheDrewCareyShow Drew Carey]] and his co-workers on his show.

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

* Similarly, the video to "Zombie Autopilot" by Music/{{Unearth}} follows such a person through his day, as he slowly [[SanitySlippage comes undone]] while realizing that he's basically a white collar zombie. The video eventually climaxes with him throwing a file folder at his boss (whom he briefly sees as a demon) and quitting his job...before [[AllJustADream waking up on the subway]] and dismissing the nightmare he's just had.

* Edward Borman in ''WebVideo/TheMercuryMen''.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'': George Jetson.
[[/folder]]

* ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'': All that's known about Hal's job is that he could be replaced easily. [[spoiler: One episode reveals he's skipped work every Friday for five years and no one ever noticed.]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Fan Fiction ]]

--> "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!"
* Wheatley from ''[[VideoGame/{{Portal2}} Portal 2]]'' already was this, albeit in AI form, but the fanfic ''FanFic/BlueSky'' took it to the next level and got him to look the part, too.

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Vernon Dursley in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' appears to be something in middle management rather than a mere drone, and probably [[BadBoss not a very good one]], but [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible close enough]]; the line between the two sometimes gets a bit blurry anyway.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Music ]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics ]]

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

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* ''VideoGame/StardewValley'' starts off with the player character as one of these at Joja Corporation. Soon growing weary of office cubicle work life, you quit your job to seek a new life at your grandfather's old farm.
* ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'''s protagonist could be considered this trope boiled down to its utmost roots, as his job literally consists of pushing buttons on a computer. At least, before everyone disappears, and everything gets weirder from there...

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* The father of the family in ''Webcomic/{{Weesh}}''; another one who's lost track of what precisely it is he does.
* Terry in ''Webcomic/UncommonAnimals.'' Her cubicle is [[http://uncommonanimals.thecomicseries.com/comics/4 exceptionally bare.]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Nebula}}'': Mercury dresses like one, despite being in space; WhatExactlyIsHisJob is in full force, making unclear what exactly his job ''is'', apart from hanging around Sun and trying to boss everyone else around.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* WesternAnimation/TheJetsons: George Jetson.

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* Edward Borman in ''WebVideo/TheMercuryMen''.
[[/folder]]

* Most of the cast of ''TheOffice'', both [[Creator/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.

* Italian BlackComedy movie series ''Fantozzi'' has the titular ButtMonkey-slash-ChewToy protagonist, Ugo Fantozzi, showing very clearly to be one, to the point the movie series is mostly known in English languages as ''White Collar Blues''.

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:FanFiction]]

[[AC:Film]]

[[AC:Literature]]
* Vernon Dursley in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' appears to be something in middle management rather than a mere drone, and probably [[BadBoss not a very good one]], but [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible close enough]]; the line between the two sometimes gets a bit blurry anyway.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:Music]]

[[AC:NewspaperComics]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebComics]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]

* ''Film/TheCrowd'' : A very early film example, showing the main character at his desk.

* Vernon Dursley in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' appears to be something in middle management rather than a mere drone, and probably [[BadBoss not a very good one]], but [[TropesAreFlexible close enough]]; the line between the two sometimes gets a bit blurry anyway.

* The father of the family in ''{{Weesh}}''; another one who's lost track of what precisely it is he does.

* Wheatley ''[[VideoGame/{{Portal2}} Portal 2]]'' already was this, albeit in AI form, but ''FanFic/BlueSky'' took it to the next level and got him to look the part, too.