bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Yingzhi Yang

During the internet boom of the 1990s, Silicon Valley tech workers clocked up long hours to keep their start-ups afloat amid fierce competition and rapidly changing technology trends. When the dot-com bubble burst at the end of the decade, working hours were cut back as people sought a better work-life balance.
Chinese tech workers have been in a similar high growth phase where long hours are expected on the job. Now, with internet growth slowing, venture capital funding harder to find, and lay-offs happening, will they follow Silicon Valley with a shorter work week?
A recent posting on Microsoft’s Github, a global code-sharing and collaboration platform, has triggered a wider resistance from Chinese software engineers against companies forcing tech workers to adhere to a “996” work schedule – 9am to 9pm, six days a week.
The complaints have spiralled into a broader debate on productivity and work-life balance in a country that last year marked the 40th anniversary of adopting free-market reforms.
In neighbouring Japan, a new law came into effect this month capping overtime to 45 hours a month. South Korea last year cut its maximum working hours from 68 hours a week to 52 hours.




The movement in China gained more publicity earlier this month after Katt Gu, a US-trained tech industry lawyer, and Suji Yan, CEO of Shanghai-based digital privacy start-up Dimension, launched the Anti-996 License on Github.
Companies that use the project’s open source software and codes must comply with international labour laws, which prohibit working 996 hours without appropriate compensation.
“This protest might become a turning point for China tech and transform it from a labour-intensive industry to an innovation and creation driven business,” said Yan in an interview.
Working long hours isn’t a competitive edge for Chinese tech companies. It’s not productive either
Suji Yan, CEO of Shanghai-based digital privacy start-up Dimension
“Working long hours isn’t a competitive edge for Chinese tech companies. It’s not productive either.”
The South China Morning Post spoke with several software engineers and programmers about their 996 work schedule. All of them said they were not able to fully concentrate for 12 hours. They also asked for anonymity for fear of reprisal by their employers.
“My most productive working hours are from 4pm to 8pm when I can totally focus on coding,” said a Beijing-based engineer for a cloud service provider. “A lot of my time before 4pm is spent on communicating with other colleagues. I can be more focused after they’re gone,” said the engineer.
No sleep, no sex, no life: plight of tech workers in China’s Silicon Valley
The engineer also described situations where department heads would walk through the office at night to see who was working late and make key performance indicator (KPI) judgments and personnel decisions based on that.
At Baidu, operator of China’s leading search engine, two engineers separately confirmed that while 996 was not an official requirement by the company, engineers still worked overtime due to peer pressure.
“If you leave at 6pm it is considered leaving early,” said one of the engineers.

In a study by the American Journal of Epidemiology, middle-aged workers who clock upwards of 55 hours a week exhibit a poorer short-term memory and reduced ability to recall words than those who work fewer than 41 hours.
A separate study by UBS found that workers who logged the most hours lived in emerging markets cities.
Based on surveys across 15 different professions in all industry sectors, the top five in 2018 were Mumbai, Hanoi, Mexico City, New Delhi and Bogota – where workers put in between 2,358 and 3,315 hours per year – equal to 45 to 64 hours per week. The Chinese mega cities of Beijing and Shanghai ranked 22nd and 33rd respectively.
However, when it comes to gross average earnings per hour, cities in more developed countries were ahead, with Geneva, Zurich, Luxembourg, Los Angeles and Copenhagen making up the top five.
China’s darkening economic prospects dash hopes of hefty pay rise
A senior executive with a Chinese telecommunications firm said in the past the company was able to use “four heads to compete against one” foreign company employee but rising wages in China has meant more attention is being focused on boosting productivity and quality of output.
“We are now in the era of using one head to compete against one head,” said the executive, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Beijing-based Bytedance, the company behind the TikTok short video app, has adopted a big week/small week policy for its employees.
That means a six-day week, every second week. Bytedance employees are paid 1.2 times their normal salary if they work on weekends, according to several Bytedance employees. However, Chinese labour law stipulates that employees working weekends should be paid double time.


“No one can work 996 hours indefinitely. People are willing to work long hours only when the company is growing rapidly and there is an extra bonus,” said one of the Bytedance employees.
Another employee at the company admitted that when she has to be in the office for 12 hours every day, there is a natural tendency to spend downtime watching short videos, doing online shopping, and even napping.
Even an eight hour day does not mean being productive the whole time, according to research done in Britain. Vouchercloud, Europe’s biggest mobile voucher app, found that the average UK office worker is only productive for three hours a day.
‘Work smart, not hard’, media mogul Arianna Huffington tells city
The report listed the most popular unproductive activities as reading news websites, checking social media, discussing non-work-related topics with colleagues, and job searching.
The anti-996 movement on Github now includes a blacklist of companies that are currently asking employees to work unpaid overtime.
A total of 104 tech companies, including Alibaba, Huawei, Tencent, Baidu, Xiaomi, JD.com and Bytedance were on the blacklist as of Thursday afternoon. The named companies either did not immediately respond or declined to comment on being on the list.
Alibaba is the parent company of Post.
﻿Watch: In 2016, ‘death by overwork’ was on the rise in Japan




Speaking to employees at an internal company meeting on Thursday, Alibaba founder Jack Ma defended 996, saying such a schedule has helped Chinese tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent grow to become what they are today, drawing on his own experience of working long hours in the industry.
The adoption of the 996 work schedule by Chinese tech companies – whether officially or unofficially – was seen as necessary for start-ups to survive during a period of intense growth.
China’s mobile internet population more than doubled from around 300 million in 2010 to 788 million last year, according to the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC), a branch of the country's Ministry of Industry and Information.
Chinese workers at Amazon Echo factory ‘overworked, underpaid’
“996 was adopted early in the start-up phase to quickly prove the business model and then later to achieve rapid implementation of business strategy,” said Willam Chen, a co-founder of ClearVue Partners, a private equity firm that counts driverless car start-up Pony.ai and online health platform Ping An Good Doctor in its portfolio.
In most cases, company failures are due to having poor strategy in the first place, not the slow implementation of that strategy, Chen said, adding that if the business strategy is not clear or simply wrong, adopting 996 could lead to even greater failure.




“Morale is broken when employees see that their work is meaningless, which makes some 996 companies inefficient,” Chen said.
“Behaviours like watching movies at work [then] start to appear. 996 should probably be stopped when those inefficiency clues start to appear.”
Jixun Foo, managing director at GGV Capital, said he practically worked “24/7” during the merger of video streaming sites Youku and Tudou.
“It’s not about you. It’s about what the market demands. If your peers are working 996 and you want to be ahead of the competition, you need to choose 996 too,” he said.
Forget office workers, now Japanese monks are being overworked
“The market is like a treadmill. It’s running and running, but when it’s slowing down, you slow down with it.”
Gu, the tech lawyer who co-authored the Anti-996 license, believe companies with a 996 work schedule will eventually go out of business.
“Technology shouldn’t be a labour-intensive industry, it should be a creative industry. Creative people need to take a rest.”


Quantity or quality? China’s ‘996’ work culture comes under scrutiny

Software engineers and programmers said they were not able to fully concentrate for 12 hours. Photo: AFP

FILE PHOTO: A employee uses his mobile phone as he walks past the company logo of Baidu at its headquarters in Beijing, August 5, 2010. REUTERS/Barry Huang/File Photo

Beijing-based Bytedance has adopted a big week/small week policy for its 40,000 employees. Photo: Bloomberg

Tech

Big Tech

Enterprises

China’s mobile internet population more than doubled from around 300 million in 2010 to 788 million last year
Chinese software engineers are resisting attempts to make tech workers to adhere to a ‘996’ work schedule – 9am to 9pm, six days a week.


With internet growth slowing, venture capital funding harder to find, and lay-offs happening, will Chinese tech workers follow Silicon Valley with a shorter work week?


Quantity or quality? China’s ‘996’ work culture comes under scrutiny

China’s mobile internet population more than doubled from around 300 million in 2010 to 788 million last year Chinese software engineers are resisting attempts to make tech workers to adhere to a ‘996’ work schedule – 9am to 9pm, six days a week.

China’s mobile internet population more than doubled from around 300 million in 2010 to 788 million last year

Chinese software engineers are resisting attempts to make tech workers to adhere to a ‘996’ work schedule – 9am to 9pm, six days a week.