"We need work" and "we things to get done" are different things in my mind. I agree just like anyone that we need certain things to get done to survive. "We need work" is a curious little phrase though. It's setup in the same way as "we need food", or "we need safety and security", or "we need to feel loved." The framing is that of a basic human need and it's my impression that's how many people see it. It's interesting that the language follows suit in a Metaphors We Live By[1]-type of way.

1. https://www.biblio.com/9780226468013