Overview
- New coverage highlights AI firms in San Francisco and New York openly hiring for six-day, ~70-hour in-person roles, with postings from Rilla, Mercor and others stating the expectation up front.
- Ramp’s corporate card analysis shows a 2025 spike in Saturday transactions in San Francisco versus 2024, which its economist cites as evidence of expanded weekend work.
- Cognition’s CEO publicly touts an “extreme performance culture,” noting routine weekend and late-night work and telling new team members to expect long hours.
- Some startups court all-in recruits with perks such as free hacker-house housing, food credits, gym time and even a Raya subscription to offset the demands.
- Critics including venture investors and career experts warn the 996 push risks burnout, reduced per-hour productivity and loss of creative, experienced talent.