I think what it boils down is to the agreement in place - agreement, not contract. My team are paid at a competitive rate, and in exchange I expect a certain amount of profitable work completed in that time. Expanding out of that general agreement is where much of these issues lie - my team expect secure work, but I also expect secure staff, and everyone needs to understand that isn’t always going to be the case.

Why can my team decide to stop showing up one day without repercussions (because its illegal) yet I can’t drop them when we have a strong downturn? Why can’t I ask my team to increase productivity (because its too hard) yet expect pay increases when cost of living changes? Why can employees expect returns without risk?

For the record, none of my team are dumb lazy asses and anyone who thinks they are shouldn’t be in business - they either aren’t and your a prick, or they are and you’re a useless boss for keeping them.