Is this you?

[d000hg]

I am paid by the hour, so unpaid overtime is impossible by definition.

Me too.

[thunderlizard]

paid by the hour

But are you really...meaning that your personal monthly salary is directly proportional to the number of hours you've worked? Even though lots of contractors get charged out hourly by their companies, it's rare to see one actually getting paid personally by the hour.

[d000hg]

I log the number of hours I work on each contract (I'm working for several clients at the same time), and submit this data to each client, who then pay me. So yes, I get paid exactly how many hours I work. Well, plus I guess I get paid to make cups of tea... it's tricky when you're paid by the hour to know whether those 5 minute breaks should be charged or not. I work from home so it's entirely down to me being honest and my clients trusting me.

I may only get the equivalent of £200 a day but I can go out for coffee in an afternoon and then work in the evening - in fact I just got an email from a team-mate in the US and spent an hour coding in Flex at 1am!

[KathyWoolfe]

I don't mind doing the extra hour or two in the course of a week for the good of the client - on the strict understanding that I'll make it back by leaving early on other occasions.

If the client isn't OK with that then they'll get the contracted time, no more, no less. Additional time is available at a higher charge.

I agree...if they start taking liberties then they get the standard time, no more, no less.

[BrilloPad]

http://www.itcontractor.com/Articles...50&photopage=0

We picked up some correspondence from another site where an IT contractor on a daily rate was being asked to do unpaid overtime

I wonder which site that was?