Do I have to do overtime?

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Just about every other day my bosses send out an email asking people to stay late. I never do because those couple extra dollars aren't worth using my personal time for. But I'm starting to wonder if that's making me look bad. Even if the overtime is optional do I HAVE to do it sometimes to keep my bosses from thinking I'm lazy?

Yeah you kind of have to if you want to be promoted. But I get what you mean. I've never been one to live to work and not work to live.

Well I don't really want to be promoted. Being promoted means being put in charge of other people which I don't want. I'm happy right where I'm at getting yearly raises. But I'm worried if there's ever a time they have to do layoffs that they'll think "He's about equal to this guy, but HE does overtime but HE doesn't so I'll lay him off."

That's what I was going to say... as long as you do your work properly when you do work and the place doesn't need to kick anyone out for financial reasons or the like you're probably safe, but if they need to get rid of someone it's highly likely that the one guy who never volunteers to do overtime will be the first to go. Of course if there's lots of people like that you might get lucky and not be the first.

Also, do you have a temporary contract or more permanent one? As in does your job contract say that you'll work there "for now" or is there a time limit? If there's a time limit then the chances that they'll write you another contract will probably be lower if you never agree to do overtime... would you be willing to do it if they asked you directly?

It's a permanent full time position, such as they are these days. And I've done overtime when they made it mandatory during the holidays. Just not when they send out the mass emails like "We didn't get enough work done so if you can stay two more hours we'd appreciate it!"