Employers having near-total control of their employees was the norm through much of history - capitalism is a development of feudalism. Then unions fought for w

Employers having near-total control of their employees was the norm through much of history - capitalism is a development of feudalism. Then unions fought for workers' rights and much was won in much of the world, and workers' rights overall improved ever since in countries where they could organise politically across sectors. An assumption that freedom of companies to do whatever they want leads to better outcomes for society has eroded some of this in more recent years, but all in all we're doing better than a hundred years ago. The US, on the other hand, cracked down on unions and prevented them from gaining political power in the same way that they did across Europe, and the rest is history.