China Outlawed 996 Work Culture. So Why Are US Tech Employees Taking Pay Cuts to Pull Insane Hours?

Sarah, a 28-year-old employee at one of San Francisco’s hottest startups, is beyond burned out. She’s working a 996 schedule—9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week—a phenomenon that’s swept Silicon Valley this year amid the AI boom.

Sarah, whose asked that we refer to her by a pseudonym to avoid backlash from her employer, is trapped in a cycle of working from breakfast to bedtime. Meanwhile, her personal to-do list is spiraling out of control as her wife bears nearly the full burden…