Yes. And a controller is going to get scapegoated (likely ruining their life) when a few hundred people die in the process, versus the failing system.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/02/business/air-traffic-cont... | https://archive.today/bFcAh
(Obviously, I would rather be wrong about this)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_runway_disaster
Obviously it would be ideal if such changes are made before planes collide, but the US air accident investigation system generally does its job, as far as I've heard.
This is happening frequently to pilots and cabin crew as well, all over the world. Regulators have allowed a lot of flex in rostering in recent years, maybe a bit too much.
No, you're right, this is a common procedure across industries