Is 996 really a blessing? Let's hear what Richard Liu and Jack Ma have to say.



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On April 12th, Richard Liu, CEO of JD.com, reacted to the recent scandal of layoffs, the "earthquake" of executives and 996 rumors in his hour Wechat. He stated that JD.com would never force employees to work on a 995 or 996 schedule, but that all JD.com employees must demonstrate a competitive spirit! "Those who enjoy all day are not my brothers! I am responsible for the 180,000 families behind the 180,000 brothers. So, I can not cover for those one percent who frolic, I do not have a choice! "

Chinese Internet companies have long had a long working time. The term 996 has become popular in the Chinese Internet industry: you will be working at 9 am and finishing your job at 9 pm. Instead of having a full weekend, you are now working 6 days a week. Ironically, you must be thankful when you still have a day off a week.

After its founder and CEO, Richard Liu, was involved in a badual badault case earlier in 2018, the Chinese e-commerce company JD.com is now facing a new public relations disaster. A leaked internal email revealed that JD.com, a company that once considered all its employees to be "siblings", is now treating them as potential burdens that must be disposed of as quickly as possible.

Richard Liu responded to a weekly email report from customer service and after-sales service. In his brief response, Liu said that the company had to eliminate three types of employees: those who do not make sacrifices for their work, those who do not do well and those who have a ratio result / salary rather weak. The issue became extremely controversial as he expressed his intention to relegate these senior employees if they can not handle the demanding tasks. In addition, Liu suggests that older employees or employees with family obligations be kicked out of the business.

These words have elicited huge public reaction, many internet users and blogs condemning the ecommerce company for its lack of empathy and unethical business practices. In fact, JD practices are illegal in developed countries. Discrimination based on age and family status is strictly prohibited by the Employment Standards. In addition, older employees eliminated by employers would be entitled to a pay system, which would make them less vulnerable to internal changes in the company.

However, as one of the best companies in China, JD.com leads the industry in the wrong direction. Without proper measures to file complaints or renegotiate conditions and contracts, employees seem so powerless against the decisions of their employers. The nature of employment, which stems from the master-slave relationship, has therefore begun to show its brutal side here: with respect to economic fluctuations, or any change in the economy, employees, rather than employers will be the ones who suffer the most.

However, Richard Liu's comments suggest such a mentality. As CEO of nearly 180,000 employees, Liu shows his preferences in selecting young and energetic "slaves" from those who have been working for him for years. It is never about loyalty or friendship. It's more about maintaining the profit margin and the unwavering control over the company.

Even though the public may be furious with JD.com's work practices, the company will likely not be punished for these unethical and, to some extent, illegal acts. Labor arbitration procedures have made it more difficult for employees to badert their rights against their employers, especially when these are huge industry giants. And economically, it is unrealistic to call for a boycott of JD's services and products. In the current near-monopoly scenario, there will always be customers relying on the e-commerce platform to buy the necessary products.

Regardless of how they run their business internally, they are less likely to suffer punitive damages and punishments, whether in court or in the consumer market. People may not like what these companies do to their employees, but as consumers in the market, the public has little choice but to continue using their services. . The absence of sanctions makes such bad practices viable and, unfortunately, a potential strategy to make companies profitable and lucrative for a long time.

The leading companies in the sector are defending their decision to adopt the 996 work model. Jack Ma, CEO of JD.com's main national rivalry, Alibaba, said Alibaba employees should be proud to have the honor of working on a 996 hour schedule. In his speech to the employees of the company, Ma attributed his success to the time he devoted to his work. Jack Ma says all employees must be ready to work 12 hours a day. "It's easy to fill our positions with those who only want to work 8 hours a day." Ma's comments also sparked public reaction, and many critics called Ma for confusing the concept of extra work and forced work more for fear of losing their job.

The less than ideal working condition has prompted some union activists to understand the need for change. Several advocates have launched a website called 996.icu, which argues that if the 996 model were maintained, people would end up in the hospital's intensive care unit. The website lists companies that are adopting 996 models and calling on the public to raise awareness.

The father of the Python programming language, the Dutch programmer Guido van Rossum, tweetedcalling the work schedule of 996 "inhuman" and suggesting something of a radical solution"Citizens must force the government to change the law. If the government does not want to go on strike. If they break off the strike with the police, launch a revolution, "he tweeted.

Photo credit featured in sina

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