A deal’s a deal
A fundamental building block of civilization is the understanding that contracts matter.
Regardless of where someone is on the current political spectrum (from Alinksy to Mises), things can be understood to work better if the boss, the vendor, the client and the freelancer all consistently do what they said they would do. Regardless of who has more power or clout, especially then.
Hustlers and con artists can try to cloud the discussion by bringing in irrelevant and emotional arguments, but we can come back to a simple understanding: If two independent entities, without coercion, agree to legally transfer effort or assets without harming others, that agreement should be honored.
It’s a moral obligation, but it turns out that it’s also the most effective way to have things work in the long haul. Centuries ago (everywhere) and in some places (still), people and organizations with power can simply decide not to honor a contract or agreement.
Stealing time, labor or other irretrievable assets is stealing. And theft isn’t a sustainable way to grow a society.