[photonios]

Isn't there a possibility of finding another job? Aren't we in a field where there's plenty of work and we shouldn't accept being exploited like this?

[graedus]

In theory, yes. But IMO a job search and all the accompanying tasks (resume updates, cover letter writing, studying for technical interviews, etc) takes a significant investment of time and energy that people don't typically have during a stressful crunch.