[aorist]

> I have no doubt the same difficulties would apply to - say - planting and harvesting crops on a schedule

Not necessarily. Before the Industrial Revolution artisans were paid by the piece and peasants harvested between the crop being ripe and it being damaged by the weather. <https://dhayton.haverford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Tho...>

Both of those have immediate rather than delayed (artificial?) consequences, which might have been easier to handle.

When factories tried paying peasants by the hour, they would work as much as they felt like (e.g. not showing up at all on "Saint" Monday) until they were taught time-discipline.