These stories have helped strengthen public opinion against this working culture, and with the desire for businesses to provide support for employees who are seeking a better work/life balance and more time with their families. Whilst it is unclear if these two deaths are connected to their working schedule, it has led to a lot of discussion on social media in China concerning the pressure on people to work such long hours. Whilst this latest news isn’t expected to end the 996 culture overnight, it does appear to show there is some willingness to curb the excessive overtime culture that pervades inside many Chinese tech companies.Įarlier this year two employees at the e-commerce platform, Pinduoduo sadly died, one of who committed suicide whilst the other collapsed on the way home after working long hours. Complying with national working hours is the obligation of employers” The notice that was released following these decisions stated, “Legally, workers have the right to corresponding compensation and rest times or holidays. Whilst it is loved by many Chinese businesses, it is a practice that is often hated by their employees, who feel compelled to follow the grueling work schedule for fear of losing their job or promotion opportunities.Īt the end of August, a ruling was made on 10 cases brought concerning labour disputes, mostly related to overtime working, the outcome of these cases were all found in favour of the employees. Shen said he decided to base the firm’s international operations in Singapore after coming to the city-state in August to talk to the Economic Development Board, Business China and local partners.Recent rulings by China’s top courts and labour ministry have signalled a willingness to end the widely used practice of ‘996’ work-culture in some major tech companies in China.ĩ96, which was famously described as a ‘blessing’ by China’s leading entrepreneur Jack Ma, is the culture of working 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days per week. Regarding the company’s progress in Singapore since entering in 2019, Waterdrop has launched the international version of its crowdfunding platform named DeeDa locally. ![]() SEE ALSO: Medical Crowdfunding Platform Waterdrop Responds to Reports of 70% Fees The crowdfunding fee deducted by intermediaries on Waterdrop reached as high as 70%, one previous report showed. However, after the company went public in May 2021, several consecutive quarters of financial reports showed that its crowdfunding platform did not contribute to operating income. Its second-quarter revenue this year was 701.4 million yuan ($98 million), up 8.1% from the previous quarter.īy the end of the second quarter of this year, a total of 412 million donors had provided nearly 53.3 billion yuan to millions of critically ill patients through Waterdrop’s crowdfunding platform. Its business mainly includes crowdfunding, the insurance marketplace, and healthcare, and it hopes to cover enough people through this complementary business model. When necessary, the extension of working hours shall not exceed three hours per day and thirty-six hours per month.įounded in 2015, Waterdrop is dedicated to insurance and healthcare services. Labor law declares that, after negotiation with labor unions and employees, employers can add working time by a maximum of one hour each day based on operational needs. The demanding work culture has been criticized by all sides, and is illegal according to Chinese law. Programmers revealed internet companies that have implemented this working schedule. Widespread discussion about 996 started in March 2019 when a project called “996ICU” went viral on GitHub. Shen’s comments now reflect this attitude again. Judging from this internal slogan, overtime seems to have become part of the company’s culture. “Join Waterdrop, great company, exciting, 11.7 hours of average work time,” it said. “Do Chinese workers deserve 996?” one web user wrote.Īn internal promotional document of Waterdrop had previously been revealed. The executive’s comments were questioned by netizens as soon as they were posted. I haven’t promoted the 996 work culture in every country outside of China,” said Shen. “Chinese companies should respect the rules and obey the laws in every country. ![]() Shen said Waterdrop will cater to and integrate with local professional cultures, even if the pace of development is slightly slower than China’s. By this logic, Shen said, they cannot copy China’s prevailing “996” work culture – a 12 hours per day, six days per week working schedule. Shen Peng, the founder of Beijing-based insurance tech platform Waterdrop Inc., said at the FutureChina Global Forum in Singapore on October 7 that many Chinese companies see Singapore as the first stop for overseas expansion, and that localization is key for them to gain a regional foothold.
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