996

The "996" work schedule (九九六) is a grueling work culture in China where employees are expected to work from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, six days a week—totaling 72 hours per week, far exceeding the standard 40-hour workweek in many countries. This practice has sparked intense debate over workers' rights, labor laws, and corporate exploitation in China’s tech-driven economy and has given rise to the "lying flat" (至平, tǎng píng) counter-culture movement.

996 (九九六) is an example of a numeronym, which is an abbreviation made up of just numbers or of letters and numbers. Numeronyms have been used since long before the digital era. Many of the early ones were written on the envelopes of letters between lovers. They were often a coded message between the sender and the recipient, thought to allow secret expressions of love or passion. They can be formed in various ways, such as: