Wonder where exactly people get the entitlement to someone else's free labor. I'm confident the same individuals would not work for free if the tables were turned. Is it lack of empathy?
Everyone is virtous when things are good. When the chips are down is when things get ugly. I think the vast majority of people lack empathy given the right circumstance. They'll do much worse things than try and manipulate someone into free labour.
Without a contract, either party is free to prey on the other: the client can try to guilt the worker into working longer before they get paid, but the worker can also try to ask the client for money up front (yes, that's a thing).
That's why a contract is so important: it describes what happens when a client pays late, and presumably sets terms to either make it worthwhile for the worker, or gives the worker an easy way out of the contract.
I deal with this a lot, some clients are talking payment, equity, and other sharing right out the gate.
Other clients are thanking me for working for free an hour into an intro call where that assumption wasn't warranted. And then acting like I’m not into their vision enough, when even the future % compensation hasn't been detailed, offered, or considered at all.
Had a call yesterday like that where I pointed out that every founder’s idea are fairly interesting software problems and they also pay to retain me so there is competition for my time. This founder needs capital or to drop the idea until they do, like everyone else.