there's got to be a reasonable point on the spectrum between "child labor is legal" and "government mandates color of post-it notes in offices"
if a company decides they function best with all their employees in the same physical space, and hires with that condition as an explicit criteria for working there, do you really think that's a violation of human rights?
A reasonable point on the spectrum between "child labor is legal" and "government mandates color of post-it notes in offices" is "People should be allowed to work from home for a job that can be done from home"
I wouldn't see the issue here if the employer was willing to "pay handsomely" to have their employees work those hours. Some white collar workers work those hours every week - if not longer - and are paid well for it.
It is, indeed, fascinating how little respect workers have for each other. Any little concession they can offer an employer to screw over the guy beside them, they will take it.
Unionization helps develop somewhat of a brotherhood to keep the nastiness at bay, but even then the members generally want to keep it an exclusive club, not something for all workers to join. As a result even union members still see external pressure from the workers outside of the union still trying to them screw over.
Actually I'd prefer OSHA set some sane limits on hours worked instead of assuming an Invisible Hand will stop employers from working laborers to death.
There are plenty of people who find themselves in desperate enough situations to be taken advantage of in such a way. It is for that reason that things like social welfare and employment regulation exist today.
I worked in a plastic factory in a small rural town that always struggled to find workers. People will refuse work and prefer poverty for a lot less than 14-7 working conditions. Lacking air conditioning is enough.
