Should Travellers Be Working for Free in Guesthouses and Bars?

“Are you looking for workers?” asked a weary looking couple at a guesthouse/restaurant in Koh Rong, Cambodia. “Not at the moment” was the reply from the offbeat Italian owner, and on they went. I heard this conversation twice in the 5 nights I spent there. I wanted to get to the bottom of why she was turning down free labour, as everyone else on Koh Rong seemed to be lapping it up; in pretty much every bar and guesthouse I saw travellers happily plying their trade.