Death of the 40-Hour Work Week

I came across this article today and I'd like some professional opinions...

I don't remember the last time I worked a 40-hour work week. But I also don't recall my employer holding a proverbial gun to my my head forcing me to work more hours than necessary.

There are those that say that if someone is not able to get their work done in their allotted 8 hours per day, that they're not good at time management. This statement I wildly disagree with. There was a time very recently where working 16-hour days had become my norm. My circumstances were a bit singular but it's not uncommon and certainly not in the business I'm in.

This quote in particular stands out to me:

"Meanwhile, more than half of the 7,500 people who took CNNMoney’s work-life balance quiz last week said they feel pressure to work more than eight hours a day and to work some weekends, too." 

I absolutely agree with this but I don't know why it is. Like I said, no one has a gun to my head and yet I continue to work the hours I do. I have a loyalty and commitment to my company to provide a service. A service that as a woman without a college degree, I am underpaid for as it is. And yet, I continue to put in every ounce of energy I have. Why?

I don't think the 40-hour week has died in recent years. I think it's been gone for a long time for those people, like me, that will do whatever it takes to get the job done. With the job market getting ever smaller, there are just more of those people out there now. I work with hundreds of them.

Are we being abused? Or are we abusing ourselves? We know companies won't hire more people to do the same job. So are we stuck? Or do we need to get creative to figure out a solution to working so much? Do we just back off and let things happen?

I know for a fact that if I didn't work these ridiculous hours, no one would perish. The company wouldn't cease to exist. Most people wouldn't even notice. So what's this pressure we feel to work more than 8 hours per day? Where's it coming from?

Work-life balance is not something I'm familiar with though I am working very hard to change that. I know I'm not alone in this...

What can we do to change?