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When I was an undergraduate student volunteering in laboratories, I recall times where I would come in on weekends to work on plating cells, running experiments, etc. This was something I did on my own accord because I was getting professional development. I notice the same phenomena exists among graduate students as their whole existence in graduate school revolves around the acquisition of knowledge, and primarily, the completion of research.

 

However, what about a tech? Is a hired research technician obligated to stay more than the 40 hours a week their paycheck warrants? I am a newly hired tech and I was surprised/understanding to see my peers drop everything at 5 PM to resume the next day. Obviously this is not taken literally, but once stuff wraps around at maybe 5:10, 5:15...they're out the door. No one is staying until 7 PM, etc. like in college to make sure this assay runs well, etc.

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A: Ask a labor or employment attorney in your local area

B: No. The law in most western economies is structured so that you have some form of redress (union, contract, employment law, etc.) so that you cannot be forced to work longer than a specific or nominal work week which can range from 35 to 40 hours per week (in my experience) without additional pay. Anything more is slavery and/or illegal employment practices. Now that doesn't mean that a savvy employer can't find a fake reason to fire you if you don't work enough hours to satisfy them. In lots of places that have "at will" employment (many states in the US, for example), you can be fired for the color of your shoes, your smell, etc., except for protected classes like race, gender, religion, country of origin, etc. Still savvy employers can find ways around this, even if you have an employment contract.

What's you're real question? Are you worried about expectations from an employer, are you under the gun to work harder, or something else? Typically, unless something is weird, you're allowed to voluntarily work more hours than the standard work week, but you also can't be forced to without receiving legally mandated overtime pay. Some unscrupulous employers can even find ways around this, like by doctoring your time records, but this usually highly illegal and worth reporting to the correct authorities. Some classes of employees in the US are exempt from overtime, but a technician wouldn't often fall into that class in my experience.

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  • Well, fortunately my employer is very understanding. My real question was just that at face value- could a tech be obligated to work more than 40 hours. I pulled a 7:30-5:30 shift with no lunch break and my PI was very upset, said that that was technically 2 hours over my allotted work time considering I came in 30 minutes early and left 30 minutes left with no lunch break. My PI was worried about HR meddling, but so far, I'm voluntarily doing this work.
    – John F
    Commented Jun 24, 2016 at 20:39
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    @JohnF, working overtime without permission is a fireable offense in some jobs in some places. In some of those places the employee is entitled to overtime pay at a higher rate by law regardless of whether the extra work is required. Put in your 40 unless the boss asks you to work extra. If he does, then ask about overtime pay.
    – Bill Barth
    Commented Jun 24, 2016 at 20:47
  • @JohnF: Unfortunately "voluntary" is a difficult concept here. You could change your mind later and tell HR that, while you initially started staying late voluntarily, you were worried that your PI came to expect it and you felt pressure to continue. Another possibility is that other techs could complain that they felt pressured to work unpaid overtime so that they wouldn't look unproductive in comparison with you. The net effect is that it raises all sorts of unpleasant legal possibilities even if you have the best of intentions.
    – Anonymous Mathematician
    Commented Jun 25, 2016 at 13:22
  • @AnonymousMathematician, see my last comment. Clearly this seems to be more about a locale where overtime pay is mandatory and OP was getting in trouble for working longer than 40 hrs/wk. Your issue could be a real one, but I'm not concerned about it for OP. There's almost nowhere with a university where working too much doesn't get the employer in trouble. OP shouldn't worry about it in the US. If it comes to trying to make him work too much, he has remedies available including finding a new job.
    – Bill Barth
    Commented Jun 25, 2016 at 13:56

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