Wearing a respirator mask is substantially more pleasant when you're just farting around your hobby shop (and only when the temperature is pleasant or cool), than it is when you're actually working at a productivity level expected of laborers, with heavy stone, in an industrial workshop, no matter the temperature and humidity.
Try spending an hour in your shop constantly lugging heavy tools and wood around wearing that respirator on a humid 80 degree day, then you can be smug and waggle your finger at laborers for not protecting themselves.
I mentioned the wood shop because I have expended considerably more energy in that shop and also in researching how to do so safely, but I've owned a property management company and personally I've done two house remodels where I did most of the demolition (and most things that weren't framing or plumbing) myself. I don't like to do it, but I am no stranger to spending hours at a stretch working in a half-mask, over my head, in Some Weather, in crawlspaces, attics, and basements.
Yes, I'm extremely fortunate that I can pay for help when needed, but I do quite a lot of my own work. So, if you're going to invent a guy to be mad at, maybe you should pick a softer target.
FWIW, I'm not a professional, but I've worn a full-face respirator while spending entire days working in extremely hot crawlspaces, demo'ing and removing heavy antique cast iron drain pipe, running a wet saw for large-format tile, etc.
I'm just one datapoint, but my assumption would be that if it's truly too much of a burden, their employer should be buying better respirators and/or filters.
Try spending an hour in your shop constantly lugging heavy tools and wood around wearing that respirator on a humid 80 degree day, then you can be smug and waggle your finger at laborers for not protecting themselves.