ByteDance announced Friday that it will cancel weekend work days at the beginning of August, an employee told TechNode. The company currently requires staff to work every other Sunday in a schedule known as “big and small weeks.” The change in policy comes amid a national backlash against extreme working schedules like “996″—9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. ByteDance rival Kuaishou abolished big and small weeks on July 1.
READ MORE: Kuaishou to cut Sunday workdays amid 996 backlash
Chinese media confirmed the ByteDance news.
The change may cut employees’ take home pay by as much as 20%. Under the current system, as much as 20% of employees’ salaries are considered overtime pay for routine Sunday work.
The company did not say whether it will raise salaries to make up for lost overtime pay.
Chinese media reported in June that the company polled employees about abolishing big weeks, suggesting that shorter work weeks would mean a pay cut. About 30% of employees told the company that they would prefer to keep longer hours and overtime pay.