In “The Rise of the 996 Work Culture Has Employees Concerned In Silicon Valley," published on The HR Digest on October 7, 2025, Anuradha Mukherjee explains how the controversial “996” work schedule, where employees work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, is becoming a trend at tech jobs in Silicon Valley. The HR Digest is a magazine that focuses on workplace issues and experiences of employees, giving the article credibility since its writers often look at how different work environments impact employees and companies. Mukherjee’s purpose for writing this article is to highlight how a toxic work culture that is historically linked to extreme productivity is making a comeback in the U.S. and how it harms the wellbeing of employees. She wants to share insights into how the world is changing with the hopes of getting people in the spirit of global change. Her central claim is that these 996 expectations are very unrealistic and pile stress on workers, reflecting how big companies often normalize long hours of work at the cost of their employees’ health, both mentally and physically. To support this, Mukherjee explains that many Silicon Valley startups have started implementing 72-hour weeks, often because of the competition that the rise of Artificial Intelligence has produced. She uses examples such as job listings that are advertising long hours and comments from workers in order to prove that these grueling expectations are becoming more and more common. Additionally, the article highlights the shared concerns that many employees have about burnout and losing a once healthy work-life balance, showing that although some companies view the 996 schedule as a good way to boost productivity, many of their employees see it as damaging rather than motivating.