A long time ago, China had one of the world’s low-wage workforce. Nowadays, even China's rural labor force has a minimum wage of ¥1700-2480 or $260-380. Recently, the authorities have decided to ban the “996” working schedule, where employees are encouraged to work from 9 am to 9 pm 6 days a week.
The Supreme People’s Court has joined the government's systematic eradication of large private businesses. The Court has launched a crackdown on employers who make their employees work from 9 am to 9 pm 6 days a week (the “996”). It also said that the practice was illegal and reminded that “workers deserve rights for rest and vacation,” and “adhering to the national working hour system is the legal obligation of employers.” That seems reasonable, but it raises yet another question: Why did the Court pay attention to the problem only now and why did only private companies come under the spotlight?
Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Supreme People’s Court have issued a joint statement noting that “there is nothing wrong with advocating working hard, but it cannot be a shield for employers to evade [their] legal responsibilities.” Notably, the “996” working schedule is commonly used by large technology companies and startups in order to optimize employee's performance. In 2019, Chinese tycoon Jack Ma called the “996” a “huge blessing.” “How do you achieve the success you want without paying extra effort and time?”, the entrepreneur said.
