Inside DingTalk’s Overwork Crisis: How Extreme Management Prompted a Rapid Leadership Overhaul

A 75,000‑word resignation essay exposed DingTalk’s ultra‑high‑pressure work culture under founder Chen Hang’s second tenure (437 days). The author, product manager Teng Yaxin, documented detailed attendance records, project data, and internal management rules, showing how relentless overtime and militarized control sparked employee backlash and a swift top‑down correction.

1. Performance‑Driven Overwork Tactics

The team launched the codename “Wangshou Action” to match competitor Feishu, mandating that as long as Feishu’s office lights were on, DingTalk employees could not leave their desks. This was enforced alongside the “9127” schedule—working from 9 am to midnight, seven days a week, with monthly overtime exceeding 370 hours, far beyond the legal 36‑hour limit.

Complementing the long hours, the “Golden Flying Thief” operation instituted surprise midday inspections at 13:15. Any employee caught using personal apps like WeChat or Xiaohongshu had to submit a written self‑criticism in a department meeting. Communication was forced onto DingTalk, erasing personal‑work boundaries.

Performance assessment also shifted to a speed‑first model. Weekly ratings replaced quarterly reviews, and some teams faced a “daily package” requirement: a senior executive could issue a new demand in the morning, and the team had to deliver an updated build the same day. This focus on speed generated inflated data and ignored product quality.

2. Tangible Impact on Product and Health

The ONE AI project initially reported a daily active user (DAU) peak of three million, but retention collapsed—from 40 % the next day to 18 %, with seven‑day retention falling into single digits. The short‑term surge offered no lasting value.

Employee health suffered dramatically. Teng Yaxin fainted twice on the job, the second time requiring emergency medical aid and resulting in a diagnosis of respiratory alkalosis. A senior product manager left after a day of severe cardiovascular discomfort. Former vice‑president Ma Rui‑la confirmed working until 2 am for a week with only five hours of sleep each night. Over 600 resignations were recorded in a year, with most former employees diagnosed with sleep disorders, cardiovascular or endocrine chronic conditions.

3. Crisis and Immediate Response

After the essay circulated internally, Alibaba’s partnership committee publicly labeled the management style as “not part of Alibaba’s native corporate culture.” Within a week, Chen Hang stepped down, and 92‑year‑old technical manager Chen Yusen assumed leadership, initiating a comprehensive corrective program.

4. Comprehensive Reform Measures

Cancel the “Wangshou Action” night‑stay rule; lights in the work area are turned off at 8 pm to eliminate performative overtime.

Abolish the 9127 schedule, adopting a standard 9‑9‑5 workday with full weekends and strict monthly overtime caps.

Terminate the “Golden Flying Thief” midday inspections and allow personal use of social apps.

Eliminate the mandatory “daily package” requirement, shifting focus from speed‑only metrics to product quality.

The author emphasizes that the intent is not merely to criticize DingTalk but to warn the broader internet industry: AI tools should free labor rather than imprison workers, and sustainable competitiveness stems from respecting employee health and fostering balanced efficiency.