So lengthy, nine-to-five. There’s a brand new work schedule that’s taking up. The grueling “996” schedule—which stands for 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days every week—is gaining momentum throughout the U.S., particularly in sure industries.
If a 72-hour work week sounds all-consuming, that’s exactly the purpose. The 996 schedule—which grew to become popularized in China, ultimately resulting in protests and even claims that it led to a handful of worker deaths—is supposed to foster a eat-sleep-work way of life. Keith Spencer, a profession professional at FlexJobs, instructed Quick Firm that the pattern is mostly being seen throughout AI startups that “are embracing this method to speed up development and stay aggressive on a world scale.”
Whereas the extraordinary work ethic sounds overwhelming, Spencer says that some younger and hungry staff may very well be drawn to it. “Sure staff, particularly youthful staff, could even welcome this degree of intense dedication, significantly when extra pay or incentives are provided,” he explains.
Which may be very true because the rise in 996 tradition has been touted by main tech leaders like Elon Musk, who’ve lengthy promoted a piece ethic that asks staff to make some main sacrifices. Musk opened up concerning the want for elevated time commitments on X again in 2018 in a tweet selling working for his firms as being revolutionary, however requiring immense dedication. “There are approach simpler locations to work, however no person ever modified the world on 40 hours every week,” Musk wrote.
When a commenter requested the Tesla CEO what the proper variety of hours every week was, he replied that it “varies per particular person, however about 80 sustained, peaking above 100 at occasions. Ache degree will increase exponentially above 80.”
With that very same hardcore work ethic in thoughts, firms embracing the life-style appear solely to be considering hiring staff who’re “obsessive,” a phrase that seems on New York Metropolis-based AI startup Rilla’s career page to explain those that work there. Rilla explains on its purposes that candidates who aren’t “excited” about working “70 hrs/week in particular person with a few of the most formidable folks in NYC” mustn’t apply.
Will Gao, the corporate’s head of development, beforehand instructed Wired about the advantages of the schedule. “There’s a very robust and rising subculture of individuals, particularly in my technology—Gen Z—who grew up listening to tales of Steve Jobs and Invoice Gates, entrepreneurs who devoted their lives to constructing life-changing firms,” Gao defined. “Kobe Bryant devoted all his waking hours to basketball, and I don’t suppose there are lots of people saying that Kobe Bryant shouldn’t have labored as laborious as he did.”
At Cognition, a San Francisco startup that’s constructing an AI software program engineer, the mansion workspace has residing quarters for workers who don’t have time to go residence. The corporate’s CEO Scott Wu defined what’s anticipated on X. “Cognition has an excessive efficiency tradition, and we’re up-front about this in hiring so there are not any surprises later,” Wu wrote. “We routinely are on the workplace via the weekend and do a few of our greatest work late into the night time. Many people actually stay the place we work.”
The 996 pattern appears to be taking off within the U.S. at a time when burnout is already at an all-time excessive. A 2025 report from on-line market Care.com discovered that burnout was more impactful than employers thought. Firms believed 45% of their staff had been susceptible to burnout. However a staggering 69% of staff mentioned they had been truly at average to excessive danger.
For that cause, Spencer warns that firms ought to “train warning” when leaning into the 996 schedule. Along with burnout and overwhelm, Spencer says that overworking may even set off “a quarter-life profession disaster” when employees feel disconnected with their profession on account of overworking—which isn’t nice for the worker and doesn’t serve the corporate both.
Winter Peng, founder and CEO of Silveroak Capital Academy, an elite profession teaching and mentorship agency, agrees that the hustle tradition can backfire. She tells Quick Firm that it “destroys the creativity that drives actual innovation.” Peng continues: “U.S. startups adopting 996 are buying and selling innovation for compliance” and says that finally, “their finest expertise will merely go away” in favor of firms who imagine in work-life stability.
