There is a fine line between "going the extra mile" and being played for a sucker.

Lawyers and accountants charge by the hour and often the minute so why should I feel guilty about drawing the line.

If your salary reflects a high number of hours then that is one thing but if it doesn't then render unto caesar what is due unto caesar. Jesus said it and it was good advice.

When it is my turn for a 24/7 week then that means that I have to be within 20 minutes of logging on to the works systems. In practical terms this means that means I can only go as far as I can run in 15 minutes. Although I do get paid for this it does mean that my entire family has to go without trips and treats while I am on support.

As I am on call one week in six this isn't usually a problem but in Britain we have just had an entire summer of rain and the one weekend where it was sunny I was on call.:crying:

The kids don't really understand that I can't take them on a bike ride, cinema trip, swimming etc when I am on call. Excessive hour don't just affect me, they affect my family as well.

One point I would like to make is that if companies work their employees into the ground what they gain in extra hours they will lose in sickness and absence.

My experience is that people don't work linearly. I do my best work between 07:00 and 12:00. Hours worked beyond the 8 aren't really that productive. In fact I have found that I most productive when I limit my hours to between 35 and 40 per week.