I get why this is being downvoted, because treating an entire group of people as having one mindset and expectations isn't great, but it's a valid call out.

Expectations are different. It's an entirely different set of cultures. More space, more premium goods, more modern conveniences seem to be common goals more Americans share than not. We like new cars and big televisions. So it's not surprising that employment compensation is oriented toward that, and less toward things Europeans tend to value like healthcare, social services, etc.

This all breaks down, of course, when wages are low _and_ you don't have a social safety net.

Have you been to the US? "Workers" here do not "buy larger houses", we rent tiny apartments when we can and live in our cars/streets/friends couches/wherever we can otherwise. "Premium phones" are irrelevant, the difference between a new iPhone and an Android is maybe 1 week of rent.

If you're in the US and your problems are vacation time, "buy[ing] larger houses", etc., you're not in a position to even get tips. You would be in a privileged class of educated workers with a perfectly fine quality of living.

We're talking about the average US worker. This person has never taken a vacation in their life because they've never been in a position to. They take what they can get, which in the case of the gig economy is often well below minimum wage. If they have a roof over their head it's likely only by the grace of a wealthier family member. This person works their ass off performing the unskilled labor that makes our world go round and they get treated like a criminal for it.