Explainer | What is China’s 996 work culture that is polarising its Silicon Valleys?
- Tech employees in China describe a culture that glorifies unquestioned dedication to work and looks down upon attempts to maintain work-life balance
- Premature deaths and staff protests have yet to bring widespread change in China’s tech scene
The dark side of working for China’s booming technology industry often comes under the spotlight when a worker dies on the job, as was the case in January this year with the death of two employees at social commerce giant Pinduoduo.
Pinduoduo is not the only Chinese tech firm accused of overworking employees. Short video platform Kuaishou asked all employees to work an extra day every two weeks ahead of its February 4 initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong.
At TikTok operator ByteDance, employees have to work a six-day week every fortnight, while telecoms giant Huawei Technologies Co routinely asks staff for a six-day week every month in return for extra pay or compensation leave.
“Winners take all, big fish eat small fish, fast fish eat slow fish … this type of fierce competition has caused countless workers to pay a huge physical and mental price,” said Yang Guoqing, a lecturer at the Centre of Modern Human Resources Assessment.
The culture of 996, which refers to working 12 hours a day, six days a week, has become an unwritten standard for many of the country’s tech firms.
Tech workers have been complaining about it for years, but many fear the situation has become worse, not better, due to pressure from the coronavirus pandemic, which has created an even tighter job market.
