Follow China’s “996” work hours and you’ll end up in an ICU, says Chinese developer

“996” means 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week

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“Developers’ lives matter,” says the developer. (Picture: 996.icu)

Xinmei Shen

Published: 8:10pm, 28 Mar 2019Updated: 9:00am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

“My company recently started ‘996’, and I realized how much it ruins people.” That’s one Chinese developer’s message to the world: Follow the punishing “996” work schedule, and you will end up in an intensive care unit.

“996” means 9am to 9pm every day, 6 days a week -- a common model in China’s tech industry. It’s an unspoken rule in China to clock up long hours, sometimes simply to show that you have a dedicated work ethic.

On Thursday, the topic sparked wide debate on Chinese social media after a project named “996.ICU” became the top trending repository on GitHub. The website’s Chinese developer, who goes by 996icu on GitHub, first posted the site on Chinese developer forum V2EX.

“Other than working I have to rest, and I’m communicating less with my family,” the developer said on V2EX. “So I made this website. Work 996, then get sick and get sent to an ICU.”

It’s not clear exactly what happened to the mystery developer, or if he even ended up in the ICU. But his story has resonated with many in the tech industry across the country.

On Zhihu, China’s Q&A platform, a discussion about the site attracted more than 900 posts and more than 2 million views. People are also starting group chats on WeChat and QQ to complain about the situation, and many of them drew hundreds of members.