Sorry, but is it me, or is it completely unrealistic of an employer to give you so much work that you have to stay there until midnight and regularly work seven days a week to finish something? And if you do that, are you creating a monster and making it really hard for the rest of your colleagues? Australians work more unpaid overtime than any other nation, apparently. I think it's indefensible that an organisation which can make billions of dollars profit can happily squeeze 60 or so hours a week out of somebody without paying them a red cent to do so. Unconscionable. Unethical, unprincipled, immoral. And don't give me that line about "we're paying you above-market rates so you should be fine with working a few more hours...", it's just another way of saying "we're bloodsucking leeches and we're going to squeeze every free minute out of you that we can".
When I was in my 20's, I had a job like that in a small organisation owned by 2 guys - and I wasn't making huge money here, less than $20k a year, if memory serves. These guys didn't pay overtime, they didn't pay leave loading, there were no meal allowances, and no taxis home [note here for non-Aussie readers - leave loading is something you are paid by your employer as a 'thanks for going on holidays' bonus, it's 17.5% on top of your salary & the reasons for it are lost in the mists of time, but suffice it to say, pretty much everybody gets it], they were pretty much in the 'you should be grateful to us for giving you a job' kind of employment space, rather than the "we're an equal partnership & we can't survive without each other" space I have experienced elsewhere.
I regularly worked 10 or 12 hours a day for these guys, for nothing. I gave up my Saturdays, and I even worked until 2.00am once trying to finish something. And for what? Nothing. I came to my senses and left, and they said "thanks for coming", and carried on. I could have dropped dead and they would have just kept going. So why, why, why, even in this "harsh economic climate" do employers think it's okay to expect that people will just give up their lives, for no return? The irony of it is that they proclaim they are "family friendly", and that the 'work/life balance' is really important to them. Hah! Bah humbug, I say. I refuse pointblank to do it anymore. If it means I don't get a bonus, so be it. I'd rather have a life.
On a much happier note, my lovely DSSIL* came to visit, and she brought Chloe with her, and so I was able to take a photo... she also ordered a dog from McCalls Craft M4893, some jumbo lavender pyramids, and three toilet bags, one in the box pouch style & two in the flat bottom 'toilette' bag style, so now I have no spare time... but I've started on the order already.. at least the pyramids are quick to make!
*defacto step-sister-in-law
