By JAIME RAUL ZEPEDA

China’s 996 model — 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week — was sold as a path to speed, discipline, and dominance. In reality, it became a case study in how overwork corrodes the very foundation of business success.

People can push themselves for a while, but there’s a ceiling. Past a certain point, more hours don’t mean more output — they mean more fatigue, more mistakes and more medical leave. The research is consistent: long hours shorten careers and lives. The toll isn’t metaphorical. It’s physical, measurable and permanent.

On paper, 72-hour weeks look like commitment. In practice, they deliver shallow engagement and sloppy execution. Companies eventually discovered that an army of burned-out employees doesn’t innovate, doesn’t solve problems creatively, and doesn’t stay long enough to compound skills. The “hustle” turned out to be theater — activity mistaken for achievement.

Younger workers in China have already begun rejecting this model, treating it as outdated and exploitative. In the U.S., where talent mobility is even higher and employee voice carries weight, a 996-style culture would repel the very people companies most need. Burnout doesn’t just hurt performance — it erodes employer brand, drives attrition and makes recruitment more expensive.

China’s own tech giants are backing away. Midea shuts down offices early. DJI enforces lights-out rules. Not because they grew soft, but because the numbers didn’t add up. Overwork drained...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxQTFFnVk5EcHFmb1ptMTd2aWxt...