Jack Ma Draws Controversy by Lauding Overtime Work Culture
- Ma said people need to be prepared to work 12 hours at Alibaba
- People should feel blissful for 996 schedule, he says
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To survive at Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. you need to work 12 hours a day, six days a week. That’s what billionaire Jack Ma demands of his staff at China’s biggest e-commerce platform.
Ma told an internal meeting that Alibaba doesn’t need people who look forward to a typical eight-hour office lifestyle, according to a post on Alibaba’s official Weibo account. Instead, he endorsed the industry’s notorious 996 work culture -- that is, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week.