An office lady (Japanese: オフィスレディー, romanized: Ofisuredī), often abbreviated OL ([オーエル] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |3= (help), pronounced [o̞ːe̞ɾɯ̟ᵝ]), is a female office worker in Japan who performs generally pink-collar tasks such as secretarial or clerical work. Office ladies are usually full-time permanent staff, although the jobs they perform usually have relatively little opportunity for promotion, and there is usually the tacit expectation that they leave their jobs once they get married.[citation needed]
Due to some Japanese pop culture influence in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, the term is also in common usage there. However, the meaning of the word is slightly different. The term is also sometimes seen in Anglophone countries.