“Paper pusher” is a slang term used to describe office workers, often used derogatorily to suggest they have no real job or responsibility. It is commonly associated with bureaucrats and government employees who handle a lot of paperwork to establish clear standards and procedures. The term can also be used to insult someone, although some people may refer to themselves as paper pushers as an act of self-depreciation. A closely related concept is a “bean counter,” someone who deals with numbers on a regular basis.
The slang term “paper pusher” is used to describe someone who works in an office. People often use this term derogatorily, to suggest that the worker has no real job or responsibility, as all he does is push paper around the office. This slang term can also be used by people who are unsure of what someone does, knowing only that he or she works in an office of some sort.
Paper pushers are often bureaucrats, such as city employees, government employees, and so on. Government employees are often required to do a lot of paperwork for their jobs, with the paperwork being used to establish clear standards and procedures to confirm that various tasks are performed reliably. Standard setting is also designed to ensure equal treatment.
A general employee may also be a paper dealer, even if they don’t handle as much physical paper. Workers around the world tend to handle frequent and repetitive tasks that must be performed in accordance with specific standards and may be forced to go through cumbersome procedures to do anything from changing something on a customer’s account to assistance in the development of a new Product.
A classic example of a paper pusher is the government employee who processes passports. He or she is almost a parody of the classic paper pusher, requesting specific forms from clients and insisting that these forms be filled in with precise detail. Someone who omits a single piece of documentation or leaves a line on a blank form will be forced to start all over again, thanks to the very strict standards in the passport offices.
People may call someone a paper pusher in a fit of anger, expressing the idea that the worker is a petty bureaucrat who is abusing his or her power or relishing on the limited power available. The term is generally thought to be used disparagingly to insult someone, although some people may refer to themselves as paper pushers as an act of self-depreciation to make themselves or their work less important.
A closely related concept is a “bean counter,” someone who deals with numbers on a regular basis. This term is also designed to be used as an insult that demeans the worker and suggests that the job is mean and unimportant. It is possible to be referred to as both a paper pusher and a bean counter, as is the case with an Internal Revenue Service agent.
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