Would you work ‘996’?

Working nine to five is a way to make a living. But is grinding ‘996’ the way to get ahead?

IT’S THE GREAT Lock-In, haven’t you heard? Well, if you work in the high-pressure tech world, your boss certainly has, and to make that happen some are — consciously or unconsciously — importing China’s famed ‘996’ schedule (that is, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week) to make sure that everyone is, indeed, locked in.

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It started earlier this year at Google, when co-founder Sergey Brin told engineers at the company they should be putting in 60-hour weeks, which he called “the sweet spot of productivity.” Last week, the ex-CEO of Google said it more explicitly, stating that tech workers would need to match that 12-hour day schedule in order for North American tech to be competitive.

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Many of these folks are talking figuratively and aren’t explicitly suggesting a 996 schedule. But on the ground, there are signs workers are literally trending in that direction. In San Francisco, often the tip of the spear for things that filter down through the broader startup environment, 996 is becoming a more common arrangement. “The current vibe is no drinking, no drugs, 9-9-6, lift heavy, run far, marry early, track sleep, eat steak and eggs,” said one 23-year-old founder in San Francisco.

But others are trying to stop this from becoming a North American reality. (It’s not even a Chinese reality anymore, either; the country officially bans the 996 schedule, though it is reportedly still common.) Ex-Google staffer Chris DiBona recently wrote a piece arguing against importing this kind of grind culture — after all, isn’t all this AI stuff supposed to relieve us of this? “If you want to rebuild an esprit de corps around a shared mission it will take years of consistent guidance and leadership,” he said, “not drive by micromanagement and plaintive memos that only make people roll their eyes.”

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In fact, if North America is importing anything from Chinese work culture right now, many would like to see us emulate the backlash against 996.

“Younger workers in China have already begun rejecting this model, treating it as outdated and exploitative,” wrote consultant Jamie Raul Zepeda. “If the birthplace of 996 is walking it back, adopting it would be more than misguided — it would be self-sabotage.” Kieran Delamont