What is “996“?
996 working, ICU waiting.
A “996” work schedule refers to an unofficial work schedule (9a.m. ~ 9p.m., 6 days a week) that has been gaining in popularity. Serving a company that encourages the “996” work schedule usually means working for at least 60 hours a week.
996 work system: arrive at work at 9 am every day and work until 9 pm. Work 6 days a week.
955 work system: arrive at work at 9 am every day and work until 5 pm. Work 5 days a week.
944 work system: arrive at work at 9 am every day and work until 4 pm. Work 4 days a week.
996.ICU : Work 996, be sick in ICU.
955.WLB : Work 955, work-life balance.
944.Life : Work 944, life comes first.
The following list of companies basically do not belong to the 996 companies, and are relatively close to the 955/965 level, but it still depends on the department and region, and cannot be guaranteed to be completely accurate.
- It cannot be guaranteed that all departments are at the level of 955/10-6-5/965/10-7-5
- Even if the average level of the department is 955/10-6-5/965/10-7-5, you may still have to work overtime part of the time.
- Some departments of some companies in the list may have 975 or even 985 students. Don’t generalize.
- Some companies in the list may have some or even more departments with 945, 10-5-5 or 11-6-5, so we have included them in the list.
- Currently, most of the companies on the list are in Shanghai because I am in Shanghai and have a relatively good understanding of the situation in Shanghai. This does not mean that most of the 955 companies are in Shanghai. You are welcome to continue voting, and I will add more companies based on the voting results.
About the future
Always know what you want.
What I want now is an environment where I can learn English and technology, so that my choices in the future will not be limited to China, but will be from all over the world.
If you are nostalgic for the high salaries of domestic large companies
If you are afraid of going to a strange place
If you seek stability and are unwilling to change
Please stay in the country, come on.
If you like a challenge
If you like to experience different life
If you yearn for equal human rights, freedom of speech, and a society ruled by law
The world is so big, go out and see it.
There are many things you can’t change, but you can choose to leave
| Work System | Hours per Day | Days per Week | Example Company/Industry | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 996 | 9 am – 9 pm | 6 | Some tech companies in China (e.g., Alibaba) | Long hours, prevalent in tech and startup culture in China. |
| 955 | 9 am – 5 pm | 5 | Standard corporate companies worldwide | Standard work schedule in many countries. |
| 944 | 9 am – 4 pm | 4 | Some creative agencies and consulting firms | Shorter workweek with slightly reduced daily hours. |
| 888 | 8 am – 8 pm | 4 (per week) | Manufacturing industry with rotating shifts | Longer daily hours, common in shift-based industries. |
| 410 | 10 hours | 4 | Some government jobs and tech companies | Four-day workweek with 10-hour shifts. |
| 987 | 9 am – 8 pm | 7 | Startups in high-growth phases | Intense schedule with no days off for quick scaling. |
| 774 | 7 am – 7 pm | 4 | Healthcare workers and emergency services | Long shifts but three consecutive days off. |
| 582 | 5 am – 8 pm | 2 | Part-time workers in retail or emergency services | Very long shifts with significant days off. |
| 998 | 9 am – 9 pm | 4 (per week) | IT support companies with alternate workweeks | Alternating week schedule with long daily hours. |
| 1045 | 10 am – 4 pm | 5 | Freelancers and part-time workers | Shorter daily shifts for a flexible schedule. |
| 663 | 6 am – 6 pm | 3 | Oil and gas industry workers, emergency responders | Intensive shifts with more days off. |
| 964 | 9 am – 6 pm | 4 | Innovative tech companies focusing on work-life balance | Balanced workweek for better work-life balance. |
| 9969 | 9 am – 9 pm | 6 (for 9 months) | Construction projects, startups with intense deadlines | 9 months intense work, 3 months reduced work/vacation. |
| 845 | 8 am – 4 pm | 5 | Public sector, schools, educational institutions | Standard workday with earlier start and finish. |
| 12124 | 12 hours | 4 | Healthcare (e.g., nurses, EMTs), fire services | Longer shifts, common in emergency and production roles. |
| 982 | 9 am – 8 pm | 2 | Weekend-only retail or event-based industries | Full weekend off, fewer but longer shifts. |
| 1075 | 10 am – 7 pm | 5 | Retail stores, customer service centers | Slightly later start for flexibility, covering customer hours. |
| 12126 | 12 hours | 6 | Police, fire departments, intensive project phases | Intense schedule with only one day off per week. |
| 935 | 9 am – 3 pm | 5 | Part-time workers, flexible work for parents | Shorter shifts for part-time or flexible work. |
| 24/7 | 24 hours on-call | 7 | On-call IT support, doctors, maintenance engineers | On-call availability at all times, often in critical industries. |
| 995 | 9 am – 9 pm | 5 | Law firms during peak cases, financial consulting | Intense daily hours but retains a full weekend off. |
| 686 | 6 am – 8 pm | 6 | Logistics and delivery services during peak seasons | Demanding work schedule, nearly full-week work. |
| 343 | 3 pm – 4 am | 3 | Nightclubs, security services, night-shift operations | Night shifts covering late hours. |
| 844 | 8 am – 4 pm | 4 | Small businesses, some consulting or remote teams | Shorter workweek with standard daily hours. |
| 12136 | 12 hours | 3 (on), 6 (off) | Offshore drilling, rotational workers in remote locations | Rotational schedule, intensive work followed by rest days. |