The 996: Is dystopian work trend coming to UK next?

The world of work has plenty of named trends, from quiet quitting (doing the bare minimum required to perform your job) to side hustles (hobbies that generate extra cash). The latest one has been dubbed the 996 - but don't let this benign trio of numbers fool you into thinking it's harmless

- Helen Coffey, The Independent

Give a trend a name, and you give it legitimacy. It suddenly goes from potential, nebulous "something" to a definite Thing - because, however ridiculous, a name is proof that enough people are doing it to warrant a moniker. Take fridg-escaping - the completely unhinged art of interior designing the inside of one's fridge, decking it out with photo frames and earthenware pots. Or ghosting - the infamous act of disappearing completely from a romantic interest's life and inbox with no explanation. The world of work has plenty of named trends, from quiet quitting (doing the bare minimum required to perform your job) to side hustles (hobbies that generate extra cash). The latest one has been dubbed the 996 - but don't let this benign trio of numbers fool you into thinking it's harmless. They denote a totally dystopian concept that could best be summed up as a guaranteed recipe for burnout.

Specifically, these digits refer to the practice of working from 9am till 9pm every day, six days a week. Yes, that's right: 12 hours a day, totalling 72 a week. The idea is not new, having first originated in China - not known for its exemplary human rights record - where it drew comparisons with modern slavery, provoked mass protests and was even blamed for a spate of deaths. It turns out the phrase "working yourself into an early grave" isn't just a metaphor - but a very real threat once you join the workforce of certain unscrupulous corporations.

One British expat who worked a gruelling 996 schedule shared his experience of the "unbearable" stress of his Guangzhou tech job last year. Jack Forsdike, 28, told the International Business Times that he was fundamentally "relieved" when he got laid off. "We were constantly being pushed to meet impossible deadlines, and even on Sundays, many of my colleagues were still in the office," he recalled.