Some Startups Are Demanding 12-Hour Days, Six Days a Week from Workers

The AI race has led some tech startups to adopt a demanding work culture, reminiscent of China's 996 schedule. These companies emphasize speed and market dominance, pushing employees to work longer hours. Some startups even promote intensive work schedules during the hiring process and track "grind scores" for companies. For example, Sonatic offers perks like free housing and food for early hires willing to work seven days a week. Mercor explicitly states a six-day workweek is non-negotiable for a customer success engineer role. Similarly, StarSling and Rilla require in-person work for six or more days a week. One venture capitalist even created a "grind score" ranking for software companies based on employee sentiment. Despite these demands, research links extended work hours to serious health risks, including increased chances of stroke and heart disease. Furthermore, working beyond 60 hours a week can paradoxically decrease productivity and impair cognitive functions. Conversely, shorter workweeks have shown positive results; Microsoft Japan experienced a significant output increase with a four-day week, and a UK trial indicated revenue gains and widespread adoption of the shorter schedule.