[Loughla]

You seem not to understand the depth of that statement.

It's not that one company would have excess hours; all of them would. So, you would be free to find a new position. . . at another company with a 60 hour work week.

Look at the history of the labor movement. Those in power tended to abuse those that weren't; long hours, unsafe conditions, etc. Now, unless you work in a coal mine or foundry, we can count out unsafe work conditions.

That really leaves one other option. . . . . .

[homakov]

This is so senseless i dont know how to respond. It is like saying legal guns will increase the crime rate because they can kill. Companies compete to get specialists (look at how many perks average startup or google offers). Low skilled jobs? Who cares about them.

[Loughla]

You know, I spent all night pondering your statement, and I came to the conclusion that you're either incredibly sheltered and immature, or a complete ass.

First off, it's not the same. There is no, or very low incentive for gun owners to commit crimes; especially when compared to the possible consequences.

If there are no protections for workers, though, there is every incentive for businesses to abuse their employees. History proves this statement true. That is, of course, unless I'm just not aware of a number of businesses who willingly limited their abuse before the labor movement.

And yes, the average startup and google and other tech sector businesses offer good perks. . . . That is not normal for a majority of careers, you know that, right?

And this, "Low skilled jobs? Who cares about them." Is either one of the most terrible statements I've read on HN, or one of the best trolls I've seen; boy, oh boy, did it get me worked up.

That is a terrible way to live. Do you understand how much of your life relies on low skilled jobs? Do you buy your food from a grocery store? Do you shop for clothes? Do you purchase anything that you don't personally create? At some point, low-skilled workers interacted with the goods you purchase.

The attitude that the only reason people work low-skill jobs is because they aren't smart or capable enough for anything else is very, very immature and incredibly ignorant. Specifically, your attitude that they apparently deserve to be treated worse and (in the context of our conversation) deserve to be abused by their employer because of their low-skilled jobs is awful, just simply awful. You should be ashamed.

[Sharlin]

And it's not just about abuse of power - 60-hour-workweek companites would simply rather quickly outcompete those that had 40 hour weeks, except in rare cases.