The Briefing Room
General Category => Economy/Business => Topic started by: jmyrlefuller on April 15, 2019, 11:27:37 pm
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-tech-labour-idUSKCN1RO1BC (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-tech-labour-idUSKCN1RO1BC)
Alibaba Group founder and billionaire Jack Ma has defended the grueling overtime work culture at many of China’s tech companies, calling it a “huge blessing†for young workers.
The e-commerce magnate weighed into a debate about work-life balance and the overtime hours demanded by some companies as the sector slows after years of breakneck growth.
In a speech to Alibaba employees, Ma defended the industry’s ‘996’ work schedule, which refers to the 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. workday, six days a week.
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I have seen this here as well. People are either expected to work 20 hours or 60. The idea of the 40-hour work week, the idea of having any sort of life outside of work, or having a less profitable skill set and using a day job to support yourself, is dying.
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" calling it a “huge blessing†...for him.
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" calling it a “huge blessing†...for him.
I suppose if you have no other interests in life except making money or you have that much of a passion for what you do, it's OK, but that shouldn't have to be the norm. Not all people want to live like that, or can live like that.
Heck, even young people can't live like that...but then again, this is Communist China, too. Officially atheist (no church to worry about), and two-child policy means there's little benefit to starting a family at a young age, allowing young folk to put off dating and marriage.
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When I worked for lawyers, it was never 9-5. During a trial, I would be working 7 days a week till the wee hours of the morning. I'd go home, get maybe a couple of hours of sleep, then get up, shower, dress and back to the office. One particular trial -- I didn't go home at all for 2 days. Smelled rather ripe by the end of the second day. LOL
But that sort of life is very unhealthy. Constant work, lack of sleep, enormous stress, poor eating habits and no exercise -- sooner or later, it catches up to you. It did for me.
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When I worked for my news company the only day I was let home early was at 2:30 and that was from an all day orientation.
Normally I worked 6am -8pm. Then home, showered, and I could be on the terminal some nights from 9pm to 11. Saturday’s I worked 9-3. But I was home.
If a story broke and it was in my domain on Sunday I would work as well. 100-110 week days were common.
If you didn’t do this, you were not seen as a team player. I burnt out after about 10 years but I do miss it. But I pretty much did t date, or have a social life.
Btw during September 11 I worked 4 days straight 24/7. They let me leave every 16 hours to take a shower, change clothes and put out water and kibble for kitty. About a two hour respite,
Lived on Red Bull and coffee.
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When I worked for lawyers, it was never 9-5. During a trial, I would be working 7 days a week till the wee hours of the morning. I'd go home, get maybe a couple of hours of sleep, then get up, shower, dress and back to the office. One particular trial -- I didn't go home at all for 2 days. Smelled rather ripe by the end of the second day. LOL
But that sort of life is very unhealthy. Constant work, lack of sleep, enormous stress, poor eating habits and no exercise -- sooner or later, it catches up to you. It did for me.
We had showers at work and cots in the nurses room. But you are right it burned me out. I took the early retirement package at 49.
@Applewood
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Ma defended the industry’s ‘996’ work schedule, which refers to the 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. workday, six days a week.
Only six days?
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We had showers at work and cots in the nurses room. But you are right it burned me out. I took the early retirement package at 49.
@Applewood
I worry about my sister-in-law. She works for lawyers. If she isn't in the office she's working from home. And she is more or less on call 24/7/365. Her boss even called her into work on Christmas Day one year. She's younger than I am and I guess she wants to make it to retirement in a few years (my bother is already retired), but I look at her and see myself some years ago before my cardiac arrest. I worry that at the rate she's going, she might not make it to retirement.
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But I thought workers controlled the means of production.
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Only six days?
(http://aidanneal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Hedley-300x300.gif)
"You lazy lima bean!"
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I have seen this here as well. People are either expected to work 20 hours or 60. The idea of the 40-hour work week, the idea of having any sort of life outside of work, or having a less profitable skill set and using a day job to support yourself, is dying.
Don't many people in the unions, eh? I do know what you mean though I think that most millennials don't have a clue as to what a 40 hour week actually means because they they always want to show up late, take long breaks and lunches and most important of all leave early.
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Don't many people in the unions, eh? I do know what you mean though I think that most millennials don't have a clue as to what a 40 hour week actually means because they they always want to show up late, take long breaks and lunches and most important of all leave early.
That's jut because they get bored standing around and fiddling with their phones...
Standard oilfield service company work week runs 84 hours, at least when things are going smoothly. Booming, shorthanded, that can go higher. I had one week where I got 4 hours of sleep (total), not counting the times I nodded off standing up.
All the effects of sleep deprivation without the Meth dependency, and the benefit of a paycheck. 10-12 hour workday? meh. no biggie, as long as I can keep busy (keeps the energy level up) and have coffee (same reason).
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Standard oilfield service company work week runs 84 hours, at least when things are going smoothly.
You got that right. Eighty-four hours is when nothing goes wrong.
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I had bosses that wanted us to work overtime but I never saw anyone advance because they worked after 5. The After 5 Club largely consisted of people who really didn't do very much, which is why they wanted the real workers to stay with them. My boss was that way and she stayed in her office reading trade mags from 5 to 6:30.
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The "workday" on American railroads was once 24 hours long.
That is to say, you worked until the job was finished.
But too many guys were dying in wrecks brought on from fatigue.
So...back in the early twentieth century, the federal government instituted the federal "hours of service" law. The workday was now 16 hours long, with 10 hours rest required if one "outlawed" (worked the full 16 hours).
So... what did the crews do?
They marked their timeslips for 15 hours, 59 minutes -- so they could be back in 8 hours instead of 10.
Some jobs worked like that 6 days a week.
And those guys would work on their "relief day" too, if the company called 'em!
By the time I got hired, the hours of service mandated a 12-hour workday. So crews would work the "full twelve", and could still be back on their assignments the next day with 10 hours off.
I never cared for the twelve-hour jobs. I liked being on the engine, but I like my time off at home, too!