The subject of this one is overtime. As in "working more than a socially normalized work week's hours" (www.fact-index.com). In my country it is considered 'normal' not to be paid for it although the law says differently. Well, that's just the case of different criteria - the people expect You not to expect money for overtime hours as 'you should be happy that you got the yob in the first place' . Unemployment rating being around 24% percent as it is (far being from me to say that more than half of that percent work on black market).
The problem I'm having with overtime is that people expect You to do it. It doesn't matter if You are completely capable to do all Your job in the proscribed 8 hours - if You're not putting in 'extra hours' You are considered a lazy worker. Why is that? Can't seem to find the answer. Overtime, in my book, can mean one of the following:
1. you are not efficient
2. you have more work than you can manage (asuming you are as efficient as can be expected from an average worker)
If it's the case No 1 - than probably you should have less work and accordingly lower paycheck. Or no paycheck at all as there is maybe someone who can do it more efficiently for the same amount of money.
The case No 2 means that your manager has problems in assessing the capacity of his workers (it's also true for 1). So it's his fault. It can also mean that there's an unexpected rise in amount of work - but one thing I forgot to specify is that here I'm talking about constant overtime, not the emergency work overload. Which happens from time to time and has to be tolerated (and paid for, except if you live in a country like mine).
And don't tell me about 'crunch' time. If the manager has planned the work in advance (as he should have because that is the sole function of his job), (s)he knew there was going to be a 'crunch' so (s)he planned the overtime! (S)He planned to have You "working more than a socially normalized work week's hours" . He planned for You to, to elaborate the definition, behave against society norm. Which is usualy punishable by law.
There can be another cause for overtime, and that is Your wish to earn more. But as I said, we are talking unpaid overtime here. When You are getting paid for it, it's not really overtime. You are consenting, the person paying You is also, so Your time is "socially normalized".