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The 9-9-6 system is simply a regime where employees permanently go to work from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, six days a week. This is especially commonplace amongst tech firms in China where the culture is heavily focused on speed and cost reduction, although the government has explicitly opposed the practice.

Still, multiple mainland Chinese business elites have publicly praised the practice including renowned entrepreneur Jack Ma who famously called the 9-9-6 system a «huge blessing» in 2019, adding that Alibaba Group did not «lack those who work eight hours comfortably».

«I personally think that 9-9-6 is a huge blessing,» he said on social media. «How do you achieve the success you want without paying extra effort and time?» 

Cultural Clash?

Numerous global banks and financial firms are seeking to rapidly add headcount in mainland China including UBS, Goldman Sachs, Blackrock and HSBC, which is set to enter the nation’s technology sector as its first foreign fintech. They are unlikely to publicly adopt the same line as their Chinese corporate counterparts especially as focus on health and well-being continues to gain strong momentum worldwide.

But as they become increasingly invested in the Chinese market, they could face the dilemma of either upholding values while sacrificing potential returns to aggressive competitors or face potential backlash. This is not limited to criticism abroad but even in the mainland – an online campaign called «996 ICU» was launched two years ago in protest against the industrious working hour system.

This could also act as a hurdle to attracting foreign talent into China to better integrate global businesses organizationally and culturally. 

Speak or Forever Hold Your Peace

There is no fast and hard rule for workers – financial or not – to respond to the pressures of overworking. In addition to wearing work exhaustion as a badge of honor or shaming those exerting any less as slackers, Asia is also not renowned for being a bastion for open expression. 

But Frostick’s incident and the attention his post attracted – around 8 million views – is evidence that the subject remains very relevant and there is widespread demand for continued dialogue either to better understand the issue or even to find a potential solution.

«I Owe a Responsibility»

While Frostick noted that he had his «back against the wall» with such a public move, especially due to costs he has accumulated from court proceedings with his ex-wife over childcare arrangements, it was one he had to make nonetheless. 

«I owe a responsibility to myself and other people,» Frostick said.