Chinese authorities say overtime '996' policy is illegal

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Chinese authorities say overtime '996' policy is illegal

Thu, August 26, 2021, 9:35 PM

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's Supreme People's Court said the overtime practice of "996", working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, is illegal, taking aim at the controversial policy that is common among many Chinese technology firms.

China's top court and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Thursday published guidelines and examples on what constituted as overtime work, saying they were focusing on the issue as it had attracted widespread attention recently.

While the authorities used a case involving a parcel delivery company to explain why "996" was illegal, working such hours had become a badge of honour for some Chinese companies and employees.

Silicon Valley heavyweights such as Sequoia Capital's Mike Moritz have highlighted it as a competitive advantage the country had over the United States.

But a backlash surfaced in 2019, prompting a public debate about work hours in China's tech industry that has continued.

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Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/chinese-authorities-overtime-996-policy-013550084.html

[Irish_Dem]

1. China is solidly backing the workers right now. Along with other populist moves.

President Xi Jinping is trying to cement his position by throwing bones to the Chinese people.
But it is significant progress in a country which sees people as expendable.