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996

(lucumr.pocoo.org)
1001 points genericlemon24 | 4 comments | 06 Sep 25 13:20 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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Aurornis ◴[06 Sep 25 14:29 UTC] No.45149578[source]▶
When founders put 996 in their job descriptions or Tweet about their 996 culture it’s a helpful signal to avoid that company.

The only time I’d actually consider crazy schedules was if I was the founder with a huge equity stake and a once in a lifetime opportunity that would benefit from a short period of 996.

For average employees? Absolutely not. If someone wants extraordinary hours they need to be providing extraordinary compensation. Pay me a couple million per year and I’ll do it for a while (though not appropriate for everyone). Pay me the same as the other job opportunities? Absolutely no way I’m going to 996.

In my experience, the 996 teams aren’t actually cranking out more work. They’re just working odd hours, doing a little work on the weekends to say they worked the weekend, and they spend a lot of time relaxing at the office because they’re always there.

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paulcole ◴[06 Sep 25 16:47 UTC] No.45150842[source]▶
> When founders put 996 in their job descriptions or Tweet about their 996 culture it’s a helpful signal to avoid that company.

Or a helpful signal to join that company if it’s something you’re excited about.

It’s crazy to me that people are so arrogant to say that somebody else is “wrong” for being excited about something.

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footy ◴[06 Sep 25 20:40 UTC] No.45152666[source]▶
I genuinely love my job and am excited about it and I still wouldn't do it for anywhere close to 996 hours
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paulcole ◴[06 Sep 25 20:45 UTC] No.45152695[source]▶
Awesome! Then you should avoid someplace that works 996 like the plague.

Do you think there are 0 people in the world who are excited about long hours at work?

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pixelatedindex ◴[06 Sep 25 21:08 UTC] No.45152850[source]▶
No, but should we normalize it and put it as a job requirement? Those who want to do it are free to do so at any company.
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paulcole ◴[06 Sep 25 21:20 UTC] No.45152947[source]▶
> Those who want to do it are free to do so at any company.

This is the same argument about how when a company is remote anyone is still free to go into the office.

The people who want to work 996 likely want to do it with other people who want to work 996.

A company whose team values 996 should put it as a job requirement to filter applicants.

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pixelatedindex ◴[06 Sep 25 21:24 UTC] No.45152980[source]▶
> This is the same argument about how when a company is remote anyone is still free to go into the office.

This seems like a straw man. Where you work from is different from how/how much you work. You’re hired to do the job, what if you do the job in 8 hours?

It also seems like a given that when you work at a startup that work life balance will be at a minimum. What more do you want?

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1. paulcole ◴[06 Sep 25 22:25 UTC] No.45153464[source]▶
> This seems like a straw man

No.

You’re hired to do the job, what if you do the job in 8 hours?

Keep working if working is what you enjoy doing. Is the entire mission of the business “finished” after 8 hours?

> It also seems like a given that when you work at a startup that work life balance will be at a minimum. What more do you want?

To work somewhere where the other employees and the company leadership values the same thing.

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2. pixelatedindex ◴[06 Sep 25 23:13 UTC] No.45153771[source]▶
> Is the entire mission of the business “finished” after 8 hours?

No, but as a rank and file employee you only have access to so much information. The ones who want to work 996 will try to get this but even then that doesn’t mean you’ll get it. At least that’s how it was at a couple of the top companies in China and SEA, and I speak from first hand experience of half a decade. They just want you to jump when they tell you to jump.

Also, ironically the leadership are the least to be seen in the office.

It’s all a show dude, been there. Yeah there are a lot of people who work there but they themselves refer to themselves as dog. You fetch when the owner says fetch. It’s a toxic, mostly unrewarding effort. But they do pay well enough to have people clock in the next day.

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3. paulcole ◴[07 Sep 25 00:37 UTC] No.45154223[source]▶
> It’s a toxic, mostly unrewarding effort

I’m impressed that you’ve surveyed everyone to confirm this because surely you wouldn’t cast a value judgment based on your own beliefs?

> No, but as a rank and file employee you only have access to so much information

But surely if I enjoy spending time at work and thinking about work then I do have that opportunity to continue contributing ideas and effort after 8 hours?

I get that you don’t like the 996 idea. But that doesn’t make it objectively bad which is what you seem to believe.

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4. pixelatedindex ◴[07 Sep 25 16:09 UTC] No.45159440{3}[source]▶
> I’m impressed that you’ve surveyed everyone to confirm this because surely you wouldn’t cast a value judgment based on your own beliefs?

I don’t know about “everyone” but my sample size of n=50+ isn’t that small as far as anecdata goes. Have you worked 996 or are you just hypothesizing? If not, why don’t you work at a 996 company if you like it so much and then report back?

I don’t care how much you like your work, there’s a healthy way to do it and there’s an unhealthy way to do it. 996 is unhealthy.