Extreme, brutal, gruelling, and exhausting. Just some of the ways China’s so-called “996” work culture has been described by workers and market observers in recent days. However, for Alibaba founder Jack Ma and other Chinese employers, the “blessing” of a culture that rewarded staff for toiling from 9am to 9pm, six days a week, and at the expense of their health and families, may soon – and hopefully – be a distant memory.