Thread by @ZhugeEX

Ok. Let's talk about the 996 work schedule in the Chinese games industry.

For those unaware, the 996 work schedule involves working from 9am to 9pm for six days a week, or 72 hours a week put another way.

Here is an article on it + thread below:

theguardian.com/world/2019/apr…

996 work culture is not a new phenomenon in China, neither is it an exact template for every games company, but it is the common phrase given to tech / games companies that demand employees work overtime to complete projects.

It is not too dissimilar to 'crunch' used in the West

The practice has been endorsed by a number of tech CEO's, most famously Alibaba founder Jack Ma

This work culture has become an accepted part of working at a tech / games firm in China (exacerbated by Gaas), even though it is technically illegal according to Chinese labor laws

Major Chinese game companies have adopted this work ethic which is designed to maximise productivity.

For example, when Tencent acquired the license for PUBG in 2017 it created a shift system so that development for PUBG Mobile would operate on a 24/7 cycle.

The work culture puts capital before the welfare of people, with Chinese game companies adopting it to stay competitive, not just in their home market but globally too.

Over the past few years the culture had become normalised, once again similar to crunch in the West.

It's worth noting that 996 is not a formal policy at any company, ... because it would be illegal, but is instead part of the work culture and encouraged by management.

Last year some devs created My Company 996 to satirise it + raise awareness.

store.steampowered.com/app/1249060/My…

In 2019 there was a project by Chinese tech workers on GitHub to combat 996. The project listed games companies such as Tencent, NetEase and others as overworking staff.

This actually went fairly viral both in and outside China

More here-

qz.com/1589309/996-ic…

This is similar to the outcry against crunch seen in the West, with younger tech / gaming workers in China trying to advocate for better working conditions / change the status quo

While there has been some limited success, it has been difficult to build workplace power

There was some initial success due to the outcry on social media + support from China's state media (because of the whole illegal thing) but it was quickly suppressed out of the news cycle.

There is however growing global solidarity between employees

theverge.com/2019/4/22/1851…

While crunch and 996 are considered normal and essential in today's world, it is rarely discussed how this impacts the employee not just in terms of mental health but also in their ability to carry out their job to the highest standard

It reflects a failure of management overall

This is just a quick overview of the issue from myself and by no means definitive.

What is clear is that we have seen examples of zero crunch companies succeeding with it leading to higher quality products, better work/life balance and the retention of skilled staff.