Experience Working at Chinese Big Tech 'NetEase'
Often Leaves Work at 10 PM, Frequently Past Midnight
A British person who directly experienced the notorious Chinese working hours system known as the '996 work schedule' (working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week) has become a hot topic. He recently shared his experience working at the Chinese gaming giant NetEase online.
Hong Kong media outlet South China Morning Post (SCMP) recently reported the story of a young British man who gained attention on Chinese social networking services (SNS). Jack Forsdyke, from Yorkshire, UK, reportedly joined NetEase in Guangzhou, China, in 2022. Two years later, in January of this year, he took on a game design role, and in April, his workload increased further.
A British person who experienced the notorious '996 work schedule' in China's IT industry shared their story. [Image source=Captured from Chinese SNS]
Eventually, he experienced China's infamous '996 work schedule,' which involves working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. His working hours sometimes exceeded 80 hours per week.
Reflecting on his experience at NetEase, he said, "I started work every day at 10 a.m. In April, my standard finishing time was 10 p.m., and sometimes it went past midnight." Although overtime was not mandatory at the company, Jack endured the grueling workload simply because he "did not want to disappoint his team members."
After just one month, he posted a photo of himself looking gaunt on SNS, accompanied by a self-deprecating message asking, "Why did I accept this job?" Jack's post resonated with many netizens in China and was viewed over 265,000 times. However, he emphasized, "I did not intend to complain about Chinese work culture," and added, "I enjoy being a game designer." Jack reportedly lost his job in June due to NetEase's job cuts.
He, who worked as a game designer at NetEase, a major Chinese game company, lost his job in June due to the aftermath of job cuts. [Image source=Captured from Chinese SNS]
China's IT industry is known for excessive working hours. Famous gaming companies like Tencent have launched various internal campaigns, such as recommending employees leave work by 6 p.m., to prevent overwork, but these efforts are said to have limited effect. Additionally, with the recent downturn in the IT industry leading to fewer jobs, voices complaining about workload intensity have also diminished.
Jack wrote on his SNS account, "996 will have a significant long-term impact on the Chinese IT industry. When exhausted people start leaving, many talents will be lost." He emphasized, "If people do not get enough rest, it inevitably affects the quality of work."
After being laid off, he moved from Guangzhou to Harbin and said, "I am not looking for a new job yet," adding, "I do not want to experience the 996 work schedule again so soon."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
