A person on L-1 should've known they will be moving home soon. This works exactly the same in EU and IMHO it's only logical - you'd be able to skip the usual "queue" otherwise.
L-1 can be extended a couple of times (up to 7 years total I think?), so "soon" is relative (especially given that it gives you a couple tries at the H-1B, but only if you can hold on to the job).
I think my main point still stands: you can't always just pack up your things and leave (or rather, you can, but the consequences aren't always a simple job hunt, sometimes they involve relocating internationally) so you may be willing to tolerate more abuse or conditions that are less than perfect for you.