China’s Top Court Says Grueling ‘996’ Work Schedule Illegal — Fan Yiying

Chinese authorities said it’s illegal for companies to make employees work extended hours and terminate their contracts for not following excruciating work schedules commonly known as “996” — 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week.

China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Supreme People’s Court jointly published several real-life scenarios on Thursday to clarify the country’s legal standards on working hours and overtime wages. The 10 cases are meant as a reference for local arbitration institutions and courts when handling labor-related disputes.

Authorities said the cases would help “correct illegal behavior of employers” and “protect workers’ rights.” Chinese labor law stipulates daily work shifts should not exceed eight hours or over 44 hours a week on average..…

Called shuangjian, or “double reduction,” the policy package aims to decrease the amount of time children in grades one through nine spend on homework and extracurricular classes, and follows other recent efforts to lighten Chinese couples’ childcare burdens and boost the country’s ebbing birth rate.

So far, however, many parents tell Sixth Tone the reforms have brought them nothing but anxiety. As their children’s schedules are more exhausting than ever, parents themselves are in a frenzied free-for-all to secure spots at a shrinking number of extra-curricular classes. To many, actually reducing their child’s after-school activities is not an option.