The so-called ’996′ trend originated in China, encouraging employees to work long hours, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. It’s something many North American workers say would be unsustainable.
“I work 8 to 4 right now or 8 to 5, depending on the day,” said Hana Kennedy, internal communications coordinator at Kanata-based Kinaxis, a company that develops supply chain management software.
She says the idea of 996 isn’t just unrealistic, it’s unhealthy.
“I think that’s a pretty big risk for burnout, speaking from my personal experience,” she said. “I think that would be way too much work, not enough break.”
But the 996 culture is nothing new in some parts of the world.
“In the Valley, 996 has been a thing for a long time,” said Megan Paterson, chief operations officer at Kinaxis. “And I think in certain situations it actually really works. I think if you’re especially in a startup, you know, you’re getting something off the ground, you’re starting from scratch. It’s all hands on deck.”
Kinaxis says while hard work is sometimes necessary, balance is just as important. The company offers a range of amenities, including a gym, a music room, and a large cafeteria with subsidized meals to help employees recharge.
“At Kinaxis, we’re all about sort of employee health and wellness. That’s a big pillar for us,” Paterson said. “There are definitely certain times of the year that teams have to work harder, you know, if it’s quarter-end, year-end, getting a new product out the door. And we expect a lot of our employees, but we give them a lot in return. And that creates a really good balance for us.”
Linda Duxbury, chancellor’s professor of management at Carleton University, says what works in one country doesn’t always translate to another.
“China, a major competitor of the U.S. in many, many ways, has been doing this for quite a while,” she said.
“Over here, our culture is very different. I think that expectation is quite a dangerous one, especially coming out of the pandemic where we’re getting the other, the countervailing force, which is YOLO—you only live once.”
As for Kennedy, she says she’s happy with her current work-life balance at Kinaxis.
“I think people even are struggling a little bit with the 9 to 5 regularly,” she said. “So, adding a full other day and more hours to those days, I can’t see that being productive.”