Silicon Valley Wants to Model China’s Work Schedule

The tech industry is starting to embrace a work schedule called “996” — 9 AM to 9 PM, six days a week.

Why It Clocks: The 72-hour workweek has long been a controversial staple of China (although activists are trying to change that), and it seems the American tech industry views that intense work culture as a key reason behind the country’s massive gains, especially in AI. Now, Silicon Valley is looking to compete on that front, too.

Behind the Schedule: Some startups are throwing out any notion of work-life balance.

• Increasingly, companies — especially those in the AI industry — are readily adopting the 72-hour work schedule and the “996” nickname.
• Some startups are even making it a prerequisite to screen prospective employees.
• One AI startup, Rilla, reports that almost all of its 80 employees are on that schedule. The company provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner to its employees in the office.
• Meanwhile, telehealth company Fella & Delilah offered a 25% pay bump and a 100% increase in equity to employees who elected to go on a 996 schedule. Only 10% signed up.

The Future: The last couple of years have been rough on workers, as a contracting economy, mass layoffs, and expectations of an “extremely hardcore” work culture take hold in tech, finance, and many other competitive industries. As the post-COVID push against burnout fades and workplace pressures ramp back up, the standard 40-hour workweek may soon be considered a perk at some companies.

Prediction: To really stay ahead, it’s possible that some companies will just adopt a rotating shift of employees, allowing them to operate 24/7.