except the shareholders And the boss, who looks good because his team works so hard. The real story here is the issue of incentive structure and coordination

except the shareholders And the boss, who looks good because his team works so hard. The real story here is the issue of incentive structure and coordination games. If one company sends their workers home early, they risk being outcompeted by another that keeps workers late. Companies could attempt to coordinate in order to mandate sending people home early, but then a defector stands to profit immensely. Even if we were to pass laws mandating shorter work days, companies would find ways around it using contracts or temporary workers. You might point out that some companies do offer a lot of flexibility and relaxed hours. These companies can do this because their productivity isn't strictly tied to hours worked. Other companies don't have that luxury, however, and the pressure to work overtime will always be there.