[Current Affairs Terms]996 Work Schedule

◆ The term '996 work schedule' refers to a Chinese work culture in which employees work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week.

This system emerged as overtime became commonplace in China's IT sector.

Some analysts interpret Chinese companies' emphasis on the 996 schedule as a response to concerns about falling behind in the U.S.-China competition for dominance in artificial intelligence (AI).

Notably, Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma previously defended the 996 schedule, reportedly stating that those wishing to work at Alibaba should be prepared to work 12 hours a day.

However, the practice has drawn criticism after reports of employee deaths from overwork at some internet firms, with accusations that excessive labor was being forced upon workers.

Since the second half of last year, the Chinese government has stepped up regulation of major internet companies, signaling its intent to eradicate the 996 work schedule.

In response, companies such as ByteDance, Kuaishou, and smartphone maker Vivo have abolished their alternate Saturday work systems.

Some Chinese IT firms have introduced the '1065 work schedule', which involves working from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., five days a week.

(Seoul=Yonhap Infomax) Sun Young Jung

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