What is Chinas 996 work rule that Narayana Murthy is pitching for?

New Delhi: Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has once again stirred a hornet's nest by suggesting 72-hour work week. Murthy said that employees in India should follow a 72-hour work week, reiterating his stance on long work hours. The top business tycoon had last year sparked a controversy after he pitched for 70-hour work week and said that he does not believe in "work life balance".

Renewing the debate around work life balance, Murthy encouraged young Indians to follow the 9,9,6 work routine, a work pattern followed by some companies in China. In a interview with Republic TV, Murthy said that no individual, community, or country has ever achieved success without hard work and urged youth to "get a life first and then worry about work-life balance".

"Last year, Catamaran senior and middle level staff went to China and they went to tier 1 cities, tier 2 cities and tier 3 cities. They stayed in tier-3-kind of hotels because we wanted to understand the real China. And you know there is a saying there, 9, 9, 6. You know what it means? 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week. And that is 72 hours a week."

The Infosys founder also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi works 100 hours a week, calling him a "shining example of hard work".

What is 9-9-6 rule?

The 9-9-6 rule implies to 9 am to 9 pm work shift with one off in a week -- summing up to a maximum of 72 hours a week. The work schedule is commonly practiced by some IT companies in China. The 996 work culture requires employee to clock in from 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days per week, resulting in employee working 12 hours per day and 72 hours per week. A few tech and internet firms follow this work schedule even though it has been met with growing discontent in China.

In 2021, China warned the companies following the 996 system that such "punishing work schedules are illegal". An 8-hour shift -- 44 hours a week-- is considered a standard workday as per China's labour laws.

How people reacted to Narayana Murthy's 996 work culture

Murthy's remark drew immense backlash on social media with many users pointing out that China offers significantly higher pay scale to its employees for the long work hours. "If you can pay me the salary equivalent to that of a Chinese employee I would work 16 hours 6 days a week. I have zero social life anyway," a user wrote on X.

Another user mentioned the 10,5,5 work culture adopted in Europe. "There’s a saying in Europe, 10, 5, 5. You know what it means - 10 am to 5 pm, 5 days a week. They go for walks, trekking, meet friends, and "enjoy” life," the user said.

A user said that if Indian companies are ready to pay a monthly salary of Rs 1–2 lakh to a junior software engineer, they are ready to follow 996 work culture.

The culture of overtime work has long been a topic of debate in India. While some companies glorify the system of working for long hours with few breaks, many experts believe that extended work scheduled could take a toll on workers' mental and physical health.