In China Tech, ‘996’ Means Work, Work and More Work

Few issues have proven more divisive of late in Chinese technology circles than the pervasive culture of extreme overtime, known for years by the moniker “996.” The three digits describe a punishing schedule of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. That’s 72 hours a week, often with no extra pay. Overwork has long been prevalent in China, where it can be viewed as a hallmark of dedication and success. But a backlash has been brewing, fueled by a growing chorus of complaints on social media and even deaths — and prompting a sharp warning from the country’s top court.

The phenomenon isn’t unique to China, of course. In Silicon Valley the likes of Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook Inc. offered free food in part to encourage employees to work longer hours, especially around product-launch deadlines. Nor is the 996 ethos limited to the tech world. But anecdotal evidence — and endorsements from tech billionaires like Jack Ma, co-founder of the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group — suggest it’s particularly acute in that field. A project by programmers in China protesting 996 conditions on the online code-sharing community Github in March 2019 quickly became the site’s most popular topic, with more than 250,000 stars, or “likes.” Employees at Microsoft Corp., which owns Github, wrote an open letter supporting their Chinese colleagues. During the coronavirus pandemic, many found that working from home can be even worse.