But, back to the topic: I used to work 14 hour shifts right after college but that was in construction and all I did was to move around heavy stuff as I had no actual skills. It can be done but the question is: do I like and need the job so much that I can give up my life? Now, I've changed jobs, work in my profession and while in this kind of a job 8 hours is more than optimum, I occasionally work for 14 hours or more but it's once or twice a month tops. And when I do I always either get paid extra (more than the regular rate, even more on weekends, at night or on holidays) or get time off (in addition to regulatory 26 days off per year, and if I work even a single minute on a holiday, like Christmas, I get an entire day off). I don't see why not. My employer buys my time (which can be considered a kind of commodity) and in return I get my salary. We signed a contract, it says how much I'm supposed to work, how much I get paid, what our responsibilities and rights are. We both agreed to it. When I hear that unpaid overtime has become a standard in the US I cannot help but think that it's like walking into a grocery store and telling the clerk "Look, I'm going to take a gallon of milk but pay you just for half of that". There's no difference, really. We both sell something and we set the price. Pay up or look for some sucker who's going to work twice as much for half the money.