How is this allowed?

Maybe I'm just an extraordinarily sheltered person, but I had no idea corporations could do this to people:

McDonald's has perfected the art of telling employees who arrive in the morning to wait around idly in the restaurant, without punching in, until customers start showing up. That's obviously not an increase in leisure, and McDonald's is hardly unique at this trick.

I felt scandalized enough when Gene was doing temp work and getting paid by the hour and they would send him home early without prior warning. It's a more flexible economy alright. But all the flexibility seems to be coming from the employee side.