"So what would Owen or Philip II of Spain think of 996? That's working 9am to 9pm, six days a week 72 hours of grind. Originating in the Chinese tech industry, 996 was described as a blessing by the e-commerce behemoth Alibaba's founder, Jack Ma. Chinese workers disagreed, mobilising against it online, and launching and winning court cases against employers. Now 996 is back (although it probably never went away; in 2022, the FT reported discontent among UK TikTok employees at expectations of 12-hour days)."
"Wired found job listings explicitly stating absurdly long hours are expected (and applicants shouldn't apply unless excited by that) and recruiters being instructed that a willingness to work 72-hour weeks was non-negotiable. The San Francisco Standard proclaimed: Grindcore culture is back and grindier than ever, with one founder summarising the vibe as: No drinking, no drugs, 996, lift heavy, run far, marry early, track sleep, eat steak and eggs."
Modern debates about work hours contrast historical eight-hour demands with the 996 model. Robert Owen promoted an '888' ideal of eight hours' work, sleep and recreation, and earlier ordinances limited labor to eight-hour days. 996 means 9am–9pm, six days a week, originating in Chinese tech and at times defended by figures like Jack Ma. Workers in China mobilised online, won court cases, and reported pushback. 996 practices re-emerged in Silicon Valley and global tech, with job postings and recruiters expecting 72-hour weeks and promoters celebrating extreme 'grindcore' lifestyles. Four-day week experiments present a contrasting labour trend.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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