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Alice Yan

A leading Chinese insurance company’s “996 overtime work insurance” has sparked significant backlash as the public accuses it of promoting the controversial workplace culture.
The advertisement for a policy named “996 Hard-working Worry-free Insurance,” issued by China Pingan Insurance, has been circulating widely on mainland social media, according to the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.
“No fear of overtime. Get stay-up-late insurance to cheer for your dream,” reads the slogan.
At the centre of the ad is a cartoon depicting a man working on a computer, with a dark night sky visible outside a window and a wall clock showing the time as after 10pm.
According to the promotional document, a buyer needs to pay at least 18 yuan (US$2.5) per year to receive insurance benefits of up to 600,000 yuan (US$83,000) for various scenarios involving sudden death or accidents.
An unidentified insurance agent noted that the coverage for sudden death and accidents in this policy is common among other products.
“However, the issue with this policy is that its advertisement offends clients,” the agent was quoted as saying. “It places the unreasonable overtime system, like 996, at the centre of its marketing material, which tends to make the public feel uncomfortable.”

A client service representative informed the newspaper that this product, launched by Pingan in collaboration with another insurance firm, is not currently sold on its own platform.
Instead, Pingan offers group insurance targeted at large companies, covering incidents of sudden death, medical accidents, and more. The policy is priced at 3,500 yuan (US$480) for every 10 employees annually.
The 996 working hour system derives its name from the schedule of working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week.
Despite the fact that China’s Supreme Court and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security highlighted this overtime arrangement as illegal in 2021, it remains a common practice among tech enterprises and start-ups, where workers are encouraged or coerced to extend their hours.
In recent years, an increasing number of young people have joined the movement to boycott this overtime culture, which is labelled by the mainland public and media as a “toxic” or “bloodsucking” system.

The “996” insurance policy has quickly provoked widespread criticism on mainland social media.
“This insurance product will only intensify workplace competition. Employees are not moneymaking tools. Employers should focus on improving the work environment and increasing workers’ pay, rather than shifting risks to the insurance company,” commented one online observer.
Another individual remarked: “The 996 overtime system is illegal. This insurance policy endorses an illegal practice. I am speechless.”
Tragedies related to long work schedules frequently attract attention on social media in China.
Earlier this month, a 39-year-old man who took a demanding job at a factory in eastern Shandong province died from heart disease at the workplace. His attendance record indicated he had worked a total of 41 hours of overtime over eight consecutive days before his death.


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People & Culture

‘996 overtime system is illegal, this insurance policy supports an illegal practice,’ says an online observer


‘996 overtime system is illegal, this insurance policy supports an illegal practice,’ says an online observer.


Insurance