What does it mean for a government to dictate the numbers of hours in a workweek? I truly don't understand. Certainly there are many jobs and lifestyles that do

What does it mean for a government to dictate the numbers of hours in a workweek? I truly don't understand. Certainly there are many jobs and lifestyles that don't fit that mold: The tax accountant who works 60-hour weeks during tax season, then takes the next two months off The travelling engineer who works long hours when away from home, so he can sooner return to his family The tradesman who wants to work as much as possible, so he can pay off his mortgage in 5 years The semi-retired expert for whom 10 or 20 hours a week is plenty