Would you consider a 996 working culture? Plus, the CMA moves to secure fairer app store rules for UK businesses
Is a 996 culture (working 9am to 9pm, 6 days per week), something which you have done? Or would want to do? It’s a popular practise in many US tech companies, could it work for you?
Is “996 culture” Working Culture Relevant to Your Business?
The BBC has published an in-depth piece on “996 culture” – the practice of working 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week.
Although the examples mostly come from US tech companies, there are some useful lessons for UK business owners. Here are some points that stood out to us.
The Appeal of 996
The article looks at AI start‑ups in the US that openly promote 70‑hour working weeks, often attracting young, ambitious staff who see long hours as a badge of honour. Some businesses even advertise these expectations upfront.
996 culture is not new or unique to the US. It first gained popularity in China a decade ago when it was seen as a powerful tool in helping tech companies and start-ups gain traction. However, it led to a backlash of complaints about workers’ rights that led to a legal crackdown.
However, based on the BBC’s report it seems that competition in AI is pushing founders in the US to demand extreme commitment. They fear being beaten to market and believe working more hours equates to faster progress.
Concerns About 996
The report highlights several problems with the 996 approach.
For instance, while it is understandable and may even be expected that a founder with skin in the game would be working 70-80 hours per week, expecting the same of employees may not achieve more productivity and can exclude workers who would be vital to the business’s interests.
Continual long hours lead to long-term burnout and bring other health risks. For instance, the BBC notes the conclusions reached by an analysis published in 2021 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). This showed that working 55 hours or more a week increased the risk of dying of heart disease by 17% when compared with working 35-40 hours. The risk of stroke also increased by 35%.
Besides health concerns, productivity does not increase in line with the number of hours worked. Research by Michigan State University suggests that employees are no more productive working 70 hours per week than if they worked 50 hours per week.
Could 996 Culture Work for You?
While 996 culture is not mainstream in the UK, there are proponents. In addition, for workers at large corporate law firms and investment bankers, the idea of working 70 hour weeks may feel commonplace. Some may enjoy what has been called “work-life integration.” However, there are downsides.
The Working Time Regulations mean that working more than 48 hours a week on average is not allowed unless the employee chooses to opt out and work longer, or they are doing a job that has exceptions under the law. This means that 996 is possible; pressuring staff to conform rather than giving them a genuine choice would be risky.
Practically speaking, a 996 approach may also make recruitment trickier. Employees would need a compelling reason to work 70 hours a week against a 35-hour week in an alternative job.
Over-reliance on unpaid or excessive overtime can also harm productivity, especially in the long run. Investing in skills, automation and smarter workflows could give a better return than working longer days.
For smaller businesses in particular, culture is a competitive advantage. A reputation for balanced, sustainable working patterns can make working for you more appealing and reduce the risk of employees leaving.
Finding a sustainable pace
If you are a business owner, the idea of 996 may feel uncomfortably familiar. Especially in the early stages of a business, there will inevitably be phases when the hours creep up. But if you feel this is becoming a permanent way of working, it’s usually a sign the business needs something to change rather than you simply working harder.
Often, the pressure comes from a few predictable places – cash flow tightness, gaps in capacity, unclear business processes or work that only you can do because no one else has been shown how. These business issues are often fixable once they have been identified.
If cutting back your hours is something you are aiming for, the first step is usually to understand where the strain is coming from. Once you can see that clearly, it becomes easier to work towards a more manageable workload. Sometimes just a small change in how the business is organised can make a big difference.
Whether you are thinking about workplace culture or your own situation, if you would like to talk things through or to see how your business could be made more scalable and less reliant on your time, please get in touch. We would be happy to help you continue running and growing your business sustainably.
See: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgn2k285ypo
CMA Moves to Secure Fairer App Store Rules for UK Businesses
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced a set of proposed commitments from Apple and Google that could make it easier for UK businesses that rely on app stores to reach their customers.
The CMA is inviting views on these commitments until 3 March 2026, with plans for them to take effect from 1 April 2026.
What’s happening?
The CMA has been working with Apple and Google since both companies were given “strategic market status” (SMS) in late 2025.
Almost all UK mobile devices run either Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android system, an effective duopoly, and the status gives the CMA powers to require changes where it sees problems for competition or fairness.
Rather than going straight to imposing conduct requirements, which can take time to implement, voluntary commitments have been agreed with Apple and Google to deliver immediate improvements.
What the commitments mean in practice
The UK app economy is big business, valued at £28 billion as of 2025 and supporting around 400,000 jobs. Many UK companies now depend on mobile apps as a core part of how they serve customers.
For UK businesses and developers, the proposed measures focus on four practical areas:
- App review: Apple and Google are committing to distribute apps on their app stores in a fair, objective and transparent way. They will not discriminate against apps that compete with their own, nor will they give preferential treatment to their own apps.
- App ranking: The new commitments mean Apple and Google should not favour their own apps, nor push down apps that compete with them.
- Data collection: Apple and Google have committed not to use data they gather from developers during an app review unfairly; for example, not using insights from your app to develop competing features.
- Interoperability: Apple has agreed to make it easier for developers to more easily request interoperable access to features and functionality within their mobile operating systems. They have also committed to considering requests fairly and objectively.
Monitoring
To ensure the commitments are met, the CMA will publish reports using data from Apple and Google. This will include:
- Percentage of apps submitted for review that are approved, rejected or appealed.
- Time taken for app reviews.
- The number and outcome of complaints.
- Interoperability requests made to Apple, outcomes and how quickly the requests are handled.
What next?
Chief Executive of the CMA Sarah Cardell said that the proposed measures are “important first steps while we continue to work on a broad range of additional measures to improve Apple and Google’s app store services in the UK, for example, by enabling more choice and innovation in digital wallets”.
The CMA is looking for views on the proposed commitments by 3 March 2026, with implementation planned from 1 April 2026.