DEBATE: Does Alibaba boss Jack Ma deserve the criticism for backing the ‘996’ working week?

Does Alibaba boss Jack Ma deserve the criticism for backing the ‘996’ working week?

Becci Gould, associate director at Kin&Co, says YES.

I would challenge Jack Ma’s backing of working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week, not just from a mental health standpoint, but also from a business performance perspective.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, 14.7 per cent of people in the UK experience mental health issues at work. Research shows that working a straight-through five-day week – let alone a six-day one – just isn’t good for the human brain. We’re much more productive, creative and happy with a shorter week.

From a productivity and financial perspective, shorter working weeks are good for business too. That’s why we recently launched a campaign calling on organisations to trial Wednesday Off-ternoon – an evidence-based alternative to the five-day week – which has had a positive impact on both productivity and employee wellbeing.

The world of work is changing fast, but evidence clearly points towards a shorter working week, not a longer one. Ma is out of step with the demands of the future workforce.

Read more: Jack Ma defends controversial 12-hour working days

Matthew Lesh, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute, says NO.

Jack Ma has come under fire for dismissing Chinese tech industry worker concerns about overtime and the “996” – working 12-hour days and six-day weeks. Ma said that, for those who enjoy their work and have “found their passion beyond monetary gains”, the long hours are a “blessing”.

As we have become more productive and prioritised leisure time, total life working hours for a British worker have declined from 124,000 in 1856 to 84,171 in 2018. Some people like working shorter hours, and that’s fine. Others, like those in high-pressure roles in the City, get personal and career benefits from longer hours.

The same applies to workers in the tech industry in China. Don’t forget that, since 2000, China’s economy has grown 12-fold, and 600m people have been lifted out of poverty. This miracle has been driven by hard work.

There is nothing inherently wrong with long hours. If anything, it is condescending to tell Chinese people that they should work less, or to criticise Ma for his embrace of the “996”.