There's a school of thought on work life balance which amounts to wanting just enough life overhead to support the work. That 'balance' is not for everyone - but crucially it is what some people want.
>That 'balance' is not for everyone - but crucially it is what some people want
I've never seen anyone that could sustain an 80+ hour per week grind and make it out without severe personal issues (whether they are willing to acknowledge it or not). I've seen many, many incredibly talented people burn out and suffer permanent health or career damage to hit their short-term goals. I personally know an otherwise healthy 30 year old swe who had a stress related heart attack. It may be what some people want but you can't grind your way out of being a human.
But are they compensated or are we dealing with disguised wage theft[1]? A lot of times, when it's time to pay all that overtime or when someone finally speaks up about it, suddenly the "fun" stops.
Then there is the not speaking out, resulting in: 1) Burn out and quit. 2) Company dumps or fires them after burning them out. Then does the same to the new ones. Until something obvious or tragic stops them. 3) Quiet destruction of personal lives. Sometimes leading to significant health and/or mental problems, related to stress, and even suicide in some cases.
Balance is necessary, because otherwise it can be like playing with fire. It's all "fun and games", until people get or realized they got burned.
