On the Loose: Burn Out | The Indian Express

On the Loose: Burn Out | The Indian Express

Written by Leher Kala |Updated: April 22, 2019 12:08:42 am

On the Loose: Burn Out

There can be a rich life outside of work

Jack Ma’s sudden wealth surge came after China’s largest e-commerce company Alibaba, forecast 45 to 49 percent revenue growth in the year ending March, demonstrating how investments beyond online shopping are paying off. (File)

Alibaba founder, billionaire Jack Ma, kickstarted an old debate on work-life balance after a recent speech to his employees in China where he sermonised, “I think it is a huge blessing that we can work 996.” For the uninitiated, that’s 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week, a grand total of 72 clocked-in hours. So, according to Ma, the rest of an individual’s life, child-rearing, chores, commute and so on must magically fit into the other half day. Ma’s personal wealth is 3,960 crores in dollars and clearly, nobody amasses a fortune like that by being a slacker. One must also admire his zeal for business while noting cynically, it is, indeed, a blessing for Ma that the harder he drives his team by setting these standards, the richer he gets. The founder’s expectation, however, that his employees (rather, slaves) would be as motivated as him for a measly cheque at the end of the month, was not well-received, igniting an uncomfortable conversation on the unbridgeable gaps between owners and employees.