Leo Gillick
The outlawed Chinese 996 work week is now making its way to US companies, and it’s looking like it may catch on.
Videos by Rare
What is it: The 996 workweek is horrific. It expects employees to work from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week. This results in a 72-hour work week, and employees who become little more than automatons, living only for their office. It’s outlawed in China, but a recent post by a US-based AI company has revealed that they’re adopting it for their workers.
Despite it being a breach of human rights, the practice has spilled over to the US. More and more companies are admitting that their employees are regularly working 60+ hours, with some stating that over 70 is expected.
The industries mainly affected are Silicon Valley tech. As fewer employees work on bigger tasks, the workload grows exponentially.
Naming And Shaming The 996 Slavers
An alarming trend: There are a few massive companies that have not used the 996 phrasing in particular, but are clearly using its timing. Rilla, an AI startup, has a job listing for a software engineer. In their advertisement, they state, “Please don’t join if you’re not excited about… Working ~70 hrs/week in person with some of the most ambitious people in NYC.”
- This will require employees to work on a 996-style rota in the US. The compensation is only between $200,000 and $300,000 annually. This is hardly fair compensation for living a life without joy.
Richie Cartwright, CEO of Fella & Delilah, recently posted about their encouragement for the 9 employees who joined a 996 workweek. In the LinkedIn post, he shared how the staff were receiving a 25% increase in pay and 100% boost to equity. But, for anyone with half a brain, it’s clear to see they’re being stiffed.
A 25% payrise for 80% more work simply doesn’t make sense. They are all receiving less money for more work, and a lifestyle that exists for nothing but their CEO slavemaster. These people have lost their lives, and for what?
Why it matters: According to Fortune, even Google is pushing its employees to a 996 work week. Google co-founder Sergey Brin told Gemini employees that the ‘sweet spot’ was around 60 hours per week. It’s clearly becoming common for tech employees to be living these empty lives.
What is the point of a decent wage when there is no life in which to spend any of it? Thousands of employees will retire, realizing they have watched their entire lives disappear into a soulless office job.
