When you’re a salaried worker, the question of working hours becomes a bit more slippery. When you’re an hourly worker, you know that whatever time you’re putting in, you’re getting compensated for, ideally. You know what your time is worth. But while salaried positions are better in a lot of ways (more flexibility, a more consistent paycheck, PTO), that very flexibility can become a bit of an issue in the wrong hands. If you have an employer who is trying to take advantage of you, your schedule can be one of the main ways that power imbalance can play out. 

Everyone’s time is precious to them. It’s one thing we have a finite amount of, whether or not we’d like to admit it. We all have lives, responsibilities, hobbies, and people we prioritize spending time with, and jobs are the things that we have to structure our lives around. This doesn’t mean that the average worker isn’t prepared to spend a little extra time at work when it’s needed, but only when it’s reasonable.