If you were in a 9-5pm job and your job spec said no paid overtime you'd be well in your rights to say no if your boss asked you tuesday night to get on site for 4:40pm thursday but you wouldn't even be able to start til 5:30pm because it's a server shutdown job and it would run til 7pm easily.  Your boss would say time off in lieu but there's no chance of that because of other work commitments.

Can just say no without giving any reason, right?

depends what your contract says... usually they are covered by a 'reasonable request' clause & it can make things difficult - but they should give
you reasonable amount of notice - 1 day notice could be reasonable, where 1 hr isnt. Ask for the time in lieu  before you do the job - or make him
know you will take it friday morning/afternoon & a letter from him confirming it (dont accept an email as he could go in & delete it).

I would personally question what sort of company offers support on servers & dont pay Overtime - or even an out of hours/after hours rota.
Make sure you have a way to record your time - signing in & out when on site is worth doing.

Sod that - no monies no worky!

You either want a job or you don't, thats how i take everyday.

Check your contact, and unless there is a clause saying you have to do the overtime when asked then I agree with Rivkid, no money = no work.

There are a lot of jobs where you are prepared to go above and beyond with no extra pay and to be honest it's pretty much and rightly so expected. But in your average, common-or-garden "job" where you come in, work a 9-5 and leave every day then they shouldn't be asking you to work the extra hours without some kind of incentive, be it overtime or at least time in lieu confirmed in writing.

having worked in IT for a lot of years I've always taken the view that there is a lot of stuff that can only be done out of hours.
If you dont get overtime then expect leniency elsewhere, but if you don't get it be grateful you're in a job. Me, in that situation I'd do the job and ask the boss if he was cool with me having a lie in on mon monring. and if he wasnt i'd be booking an opticians appt or receiving a new fridge or some such excuse.

Quote from: shofty on February 15, 2011, 09:53:01 AM
having worked in IT for a lot of years I've always taken the view that there is a lot of stuff that can only be done out of hours.

what sort of it company take on this kind of work without having a time in lieu or OT policy..
its taking the piss thats what its doing.