[kanelbullar]

two willing parties

Please, this is a very old topic.

The way society is currently configured, at some point, for all practical purposes, you are effectively forced to take some kind of job. Or see your life turn into living hell in a whole bunch of ways. Which means that the idea that both parties are truly "willing" parties (let alone have more or less equal leverage in) the negotiation, at the very least -- needs to be radically revisited.

But for contract work? If you don't like the terms, don't accept.

"And don't pay the rent, and don't feed your kids" you mean.

[djsumdog]

The Mic Dicta podcast has a great commentary about this in one of their recent episodes about a labour dispute; they referred to a judge (can't remember if it was SCOTUS or a Federal court) and said, "He's never had a real job in his life."

Work contracts are not a negotiation. There is no back and fourth to an agreement. I've gotten non-competes removed from some contracts, but I'm an exception because 1) I'm in IT and highly skilled and 2) I actually read my contracts.

And even then, in two cases they wouldn't change anything about the contracts and I had to walk from those jobs. Anyone who doesn't work in tech or another high income job does NOT have that option.

Work contracts in western countries are rarely ever between equal parities.