Answer) Working from 9 AM to 9 PM, six days a week
In China, “996” is more than a work schedule—it’s a lifestyle and a symbol of the country’s relentless push for economic growth, no matter the human cost. “996” stands for a grueling schedule where employees work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. It has become the defining rhythm of many industries, especially in tech, and reflects the intense pressures placed on China’s young workforce.
The term originated from tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent, where high-profile CEOs praised the practice, framing it as a badge of honor, a necessity for those who wish to “achieve greatness.” But behind the success stories and stock market gains, 996 has sparked a bitter divide. For those on the ground, the term signals burnout, exhaustion, and a system that demands workers sacrifice their lives for the promise of success that only a few might achieve.
The “996” lifestyle, officially discouraged but widely practiced, has permeated the tech industry, real estate, and even finance. In a society that values productivity and perseverance, 996 taps into deep-rooted cultural ideals about hard work and resilience.
The hours are often unpaid, and employees are expected to comply with what amounts to “invisible overtime,” responding to work messages long after they leave the office. The constant connectivity, marketed as efficiency, erodes personal boundaries and leaves many workers in a state of constant vigilance. They are tethered to their phones and laptops, fearing that any missed message could be a mark against their loyalty or dedication. This silent code of conduct, though unspoken, is known and felt by millions.
Despite its brutal reality, 996 has an allure—one tied to a generation raised in a competitive society where success feels like a zero-sum game. In this narrative, to reject 996 is to signal weakness, to opt out of an “elite” path, and this message is drummed into young professionals from their earliest internships.
Even so, this culture is sparking backlash. In 2019, a movement called “996.ICU” emerged on GitHub, a platform typically used for code-sharing but here transformed into a forum for protest.
The name implies that those working 996 hours could end up in intensive care, and thousands of users contributed to an open discussion of the system’s toll on mental and physical health. The movement’s slogan—“Work by day, die by night”—captures a growing disillusionment among young Chinese workers, who are starting to question if their dreams of upward mobility are worth the personal cost.
Chinese social media has become an outlet for these frustrations, with platforms like Weibo and Xiaohongshu filled with stories of burnout, stories from young workers who feel they’re sacrificing their lives without reaping any of the promised rewards.
Many of these young people are the first in their families to attain white-collar jobs and face immense pressure to succeed. They are, after all, symbols of their family’s investment and sacrifice.
The social expectation to succeed—to validate their education, to fulfill parental hopes—fuels this compliance with 996. But for many, compliance is gradually giving way to resentment and fatigue.
