I work anywhere between 25 and 45 hours. My work varies based upon my ability to complete the work given to me. I am not really qualified for some of the tasks in my position although I learn quickly.

I would argue that 90% of employers cannot effectively measure productivity. I have worked in call centers where metrics are tracked - which of course I learned to game - allowing me to work the same hours while making 50% above my peers based upon bonuses.

Knowledge workers are a different type of job with somewhere >50% being fake jobs that exist only because companies have capital and managers and head count means success.

They don't. It's visually impressive: look how hard we're all working! But it's impossible that they're getting more than a pittance of useful output after hour 50 or so.

You've got a guy sitting at his desk at 8:55PM on a Saturday night. Impressive. We all know he hasn't been doing anything worthwhile since some time back on Thursday, and you've been wasting electricity on him afterward.

Its a knows patter in AAA games dev. People are pushed to work long hours, and the do perform maybe not at 100% but they do overproduce. However eventually they crash and burnout, then they get fired and replaced. Its a soul sucking industry that preys on positive, creative and idealistic people.

Because in corpo you are always easily replaceable.

It's not a rational phenomenon, it's social/peer-pressure based. Ever been in a situation where an open floor plan full of employees is typing away, with the boss walking the aisles, and you need to leave early?

The trick is, most work doesn't require you to be super productive. For example you could literally sleep through a lengthy meeting.

You can, but that’s still work time.

Yeah, that's why 996 kills people slowly. 996 is taking away your own time for the company, and most likely in a not so productive way.

So you don't get the refresh, the first 1-2 companies which employs you get the most benefit because you are not drained yet, but companies later in the line got a used battery almost completely drained -- and that's why China also has the 35 yrs old rule.

also at 35, you are more likely to have kids. Once you have a kid, you wont submit to 996 anymore, so they'll just lay you off and replace you with a fresh out of college grad

Yeah. It's a vicious cycle. UNLESS you made into a lead or a manager of some sort -- but it's still rare and you are still required to do a lot of overtime.