Would you like to work nearly double the standard 40-hour week? It\u2019s a question that many startups in the US are asking prospective employees\u2014and to get the job, the answer needs to be an unequivocal yes. These companies are embracing an intense schedule, first popularized in mainland China, known as \u201c996,\u201d or 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week. In other words, it\u2019s a 72-hour work week.<\/p>\n
The 996 phenomenon in China gave rise to major protests<\/a> and accusations<\/a> of \u201cmodern slavery,\u201d with critics blaming the schedule for a spate of worker deaths<\/a>. Despite the negative connotations overseas, US firms, many of them working on artificial intelligence, are adopting both the schedule and its nickname<\/a> as they race to compete against each other\u2014and with China. Adrian Kinnersley, a serial entrepreneur who runs both a staffing and recruitment company and an employment compliance startup, has been surprised by how many startups are going all-in on 996. \u201cIt’s becoming increasingly common,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have multiple clients where a prerequisite for screening candidates before they go for an interview is whether they are prepared to work 996.\u201d<\/p>\n At the beginning of the Covid pandemic, conversations about conditions for workers in the United States often centered around burnout<\/a> and the need for increased flexibility. Even in the notoriously hard-charging tech sector, companies began emphasizing efforts to facilitate a balanced schedule. Now, the surge in interest in 996 demonstrates the pendulum has swung the other way. It echoes Elon Musk\u2019s \u201cextremely hardcore<\/a>\u201d ultimatum to X employees, which encouraged them to work punishing hours.<\/p>\n Companies aren\u2019t having trouble finding willing employees, and some frame it as core to their work culture. Rilla, an AI startup that sells software designed for contractors (like plumbers) to record conversations with prospective clients and coach them on how to negotiate higher rates, says nearly all of its 80-person workforce adheres to the 996 schedule.<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s a really strong and growing subculture of people, especially in my generation\u2014Gen Z\u2014who grew up listening to stories of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, entrepreneurs who dedicated their lives to building life-changing companies,\u201d says Will Gao, the company\u2019s head of growth. \u201cKobe Bryant dedicated all his waking hours to basketball, and I don\u2019t think there\u2019s a lot of people saying that Kobe Bryant shouldn\u2019t have worked as hard as he did.\u201d<\/p>\n