Pinduoduo, which grew to challenge e-commerce incumbents Alibaba and JD.com in China, is the subject of controversy after the death of a 22-year-old employee, renewing conversations about the tech industry’s brutal “996” work schedule. Photo: AFP Pinduoduo, which grew to challenge e-commerce incumbents Alibaba and JD.com in China, is the subject of controversy after the death of a 22-year-old employee, renewing conversations about the tech industry’s brutal “996” work schedule. Photo: AFP
Pinduoduo, which grew to challenge e-commerce incumbents Alibaba and JD.com in China, is the subject of controversy after the death of a 22-year-old employee, renewing conversations about the tech industry’s brutal “996” work schedule. Photo: AFP

Pinduoduo

Tech /  Big Tech

Death of 22-year-old Pinduoduo employee renews controversy over China’s 996 overwork culture, sparking an investigation

  • News of a Pinduoduo employee’s death went viral online as netizens connected it to the Chinese tech industry’s brutal ‘996’ work schedule
  • The e-commerce company did not mention the employee’s long working hours, but Shanghai authorities opened an investigation into the company’s labour conditions

Topic |   Pinduoduo
Yujie Xue
Yujie Xue in Shenzhen

Updated: 10:26am, 5 Jan, 2021

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Pinduoduo, which grew to challenge e-commerce incumbents Alibaba and JD.com in China, is the subject of controversy after the death of a 22-year-old employee, renewing conversations about the tech industry’s brutal “996” work schedule. Photo: AFP Pinduoduo, which grew to challenge e-commerce incumbents Alibaba and JD.com in China, is the subject of controversy after the death of a 22-year-old employee, renewing conversations about the tech industry’s brutal “996” work schedule. Photo: AFP
Pinduoduo, which grew to challenge e-commerce incumbents Alibaba and JD.com in China, is the subject of controversy after the death of a 22-year-old employee, renewing conversations about the tech industry’s brutal “996” work schedule. Photo: AFP
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