A 28-year-old British expat from Manchester, Jack Forsdike, recently opened up about his two-year stint in China’s 996 tech culture. He admitted to feeling “relieved” after being laid off. Interestingly, Chinese business magnate Jack Ma recently endorsed this controversial work culture.
Initially, Forsdike was actually excited about the prospect of working under China’s infamous 996 hours. He had spent nearly two years as an English-Chinese interpreter at a local tech giant in Guangzhou.
He was thrilled when his employer offered him a game development role in January 2024. Despite his enthusiasm, human resources warned him that his hours would increase dramatically.
Forsdike was used to a more traditional nine-to-five work schedule as an interpreter. However, as a developer, he was expected to work from 10 am to 10 pm every day, six days a week. Although not explicitly stated in their contracts, this was understood to be the standard.
Initially, Forsdike felt honoured to be put on a 996 schedule. He believed that these demanding hours were a sign of recognition, indicating that he was part of a serious, valuable team and that his productivity was highly valued. However, he soon realised how naive he was.
Beyond The 996 Grind: A Personal Account
Forsdike, who had recently married, initially negotiated a more flexible schedule with his manager. He requested to leave the office early on certain days and avoid working every Saturday. His manager agreed, provided that Forsdike met his work commitments.
Forsdike soon became overwhelmed by the increasing workload. He frequently had to work on Saturdays or Sundays and often left the office at midnight. Within a few months, Forsdike was fully immersed in the 996 schedule, spending most of his waking hours commuting to, working, or leaving the office.
Forsdike quickly realised there were better ways to earn praise or recognition than working weekends. Even on Sundays, he observed that many of his colleagues were still in the office.
The most challenging month for Forsdike was April when his team faced immense pressure to meet a deadline. In the gaming industry, this intense period of unpaid overtime before a major release is often called a “crunch.”
The 996 schedule was already demanding, but this particular “crunch” period was even more intense. Forsdike worked 12 to 14-hour shifts for three consecutive weeks, totalling approximately 20 days of overtime without any rest.
Forsdike typically arrived at the office shortly before 10 a.m. to enjoy breakfast at the company canteen, where meals were subsidised. After breakfast, he worked until 12:30 p.m., when it was time for lunch.
The company offered a generous 90-minute lunch break, which Forsdike often used to grab coffee with colleagues and unwind for an hour or so. He believes that these social breaks helped him cope with the demanding 996 routine.
After lunch, Forsdike would continuee working until dinnertime. Evenings were often filled with additional work, as his bosses routinely scheduled meetings at 9 p.m. Forsdike typically arrived home after midnight, showered, and went straight to bed. The next day, he would repeat the same gruelling routine.
Due to the demands of his 996 job, Forsdike’s personal life suffered greatly. He barely saw his wife and had to give up his favourite hobbies, such as tennis and exercise. Even meals were limited to the company canteen.
Forsdike began to notice the negative impact on his health. He was losing muscle mass and gaining weight. The situation was becoming unsustainable, but he clung to the hope that the pressure would eventually ease.
Forsdike finally received a much-needed break in May, coinciding with Labor Day, one of China’s major “Golden Week” holidays. He had negotiated this extended leave as part of his transition to the new role.
Upon his return, Forsdike received the devastating news that he and most of his team had been laid off. Although the project was nearing completion, the company decided to scale back development efforts for the game.
Forsdike was disappointed by the layoff, especially considering the long hours he had worked for the company. However, he also felt relief. The 996 experience had made him realise how much he had missed in his personal life. Being laid off allowed him to hit the reset button and reevaluate his priorities.
The 996 Mindset: A Detrimental Approach
Forsdike strongly urges senior managers to reconsider the outdated 996 mindset. He argues that this approach crushes employee morale and hinders productivity. Tired and overworked teams are more prone to making mistakes, ultimately negatively impacting the company’s performance.
However, Chinese businessman Jack Ma seems to hold a different perspective on the matter. Ma has faced criticism for promoting the controversial 12-hour workday culture in China’s booming tech industry. He has argued that employees who work longer hours will be rewarded for their hard work.
Ma, the founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba, recently expressed his support for the “996” work practice on social media. This practice, which involves working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, is prevalent among China’s large technology companies and startups.
“If we find things we like, 996 is not a problem,” Ma said in a blog post Sunday on Chinese social media site Weibo. “If you don’t like [your work], every minute is torture,” he added. Ma’s comments sparked criticism from Chinese social media users.
“Did you ever think about the elderly at home who need care, (or) the children who need company?” wrote a Weibo user with the online moniker stupidcan123 in response to Ma’s post. They added, “If all enterprises enforce a 996 schedule, no one will have children” because of a lack of time.
Chinese state media also criticised companies that require their employees to work long hours in the office, although they did not explicitly mention Ma’s post. “Advocating hard work and commitment does not mean forcing overtime,” wrote state-run newspaper People’s Daily (via Weibo) in a Sunday commentary.
“The mandatory enforcement of 996 overtime culture not only reflects the arrogance of business managers but also is unfair and impractical,” the publication noted. It is important to note that forcing employees to work long hours can have detrimental consequences.
For example, one employee named Molly quit after her boss insisted she work on her birthday. Another employee, Daisy, resigned after her manager dismissed her concerns about burnout and instead demanded that she be more flexible despite her late nights and weekend work.
Ma’s Defense Of ‘996’
Ma clarified that he was not defending working long hours but wanted to “pay tribute” to employees who embraced this demanding work culture.
“The real 996 is not simply overtime work,” he said, adding that everyone has the right to choose their own lifestyle, but those who work shorter hours “won’t taste the happiness and rewards of hard work.”
On Thursday, the 54-year-old executive first entered the debate over China’s long working hours when his comments to Alibaba employees about “996” were shared on the company’s Weibo account. Ma stated that he had never regretted working 12-hour days.
“I personally think that 996 is a huge blessing,” he said. “How do you achieve the success you want without paying extra effort and time?”
Ma emphasised that any aspiring employee at Alibaba, one of the world’s largest tech companies, should be prepared to work 12-hour days if they seek success. “Or why bother joining? We don’t lack those who work eight hours comfortably,” he said.
Long workdays in the high-tech sector are not exclusive to China. Elon Musk, the co-founder of Tesla, has previously admitted to working up to 120 hours per week during production delays at the electric vehicle company.
“There are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week,” he posted on the social media site X (formerly Twitter) in November last year.
