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I work in a law firm and OT is a naturally part of the job. We do have a busy season that's similar to tax season but there is a lot of unpredictable busyness too. DH does our daycare drop offs and pickups and he has long hours. He is gone from the house 6:30-6:30. So I can still work OT and be away for the same amount of time. During busy season I do work some weekends, but the money is really good and helps our family a lot.

@math.nerd: I gave 6 years of myself to public accounting so I totally feel your pain!! Good luck this season. I think the most important thing for me during those years was always working for a partner who understood quality vs quantity of time spent on a job. I despised people who worked until 2am just bc they felt they needed to bill more. Thank God my partner was a morning person...he knew I was the first one there each day (5am was my norm when I had my large accelerated filer) and never once questioned when I was the first to leave at 9pm. He knew id meet my deadlines and that was that!

Now - it too in my current job (assist controller) is my boss who makes it all possible. We are in the midst of 80 hr work weeks and she doesn't mind that I leave at 6 to see K a bit before bed at 7....then I log back on from home after she goes to bed.

I frequently have odd hour conf calls - which I am fortunate to be able to take from home. I guess my keys to making it work are 1) building up trust with my boss(es), 2) flexible ability to work from home and 3) having a home office so I can work well here!

I never work OT! I am usually finished 30mins-1hr early everyday. I feel guilty sometimes!

@Mrs D: @math.nerd: fellow CPA here (in industry now)

@regberadaisy: its tough. I give myself guidelines like @math.nerd: I always leave on time on Fridays UNLESS working late means I don't have to do it on the weekend.

I bust ass to get into the office early so I can put my kid to bed. If I do miss her bedtime, I take full advantage of that evening and burn the midnight oil, to minimize missing more bedtimes. DH is incredibly supportive and I have a daycare I love. This helps.

If I wasn't on my phone, I'd say more. I'm pretty passionate about this subject, as long hours are hard to escape in my industry.

I have no problem working after hours at home on occasion. I'll come in early or stay late for important meetings but I have no problem saying sorry can't do it after 5 unless it's a high level exec. Luckily my boss gets it and is very respectful of my family life and responsibilities. Petty lucky considering he's a single dude in his mid 20s!

Maybe a few times a year I work OT, but usually I just shift my schedule if we have an event or something that requires me to change my hours. I am able to get my actual paperwork done in 40 hours almost always and the culture at my job is to leave at 5.

Usually a couple hours a week, more in the fall when I'm really busy. I'm compensated for it with either time or extra pay so it's not too bad. It will only be a problem if we're both crazy busy at the same time.

Nervous about this for when I start working although if things work out the way we want I'll soon be working for family! Dh on the other hand has to work OT almost every day. Sometimes less than five or six hours between shifts but usually he works 13-14 hours instead of 12. He gets no say in it.

@SweetCaroline: I agree...I am always at my desk by 7:30am...so I feel not a shred of guilt when I walk out at 5pm sharp (most days). I think the trust component is HUGE too...my boss knows if she asks me to get something done I will make necessary sacrifices (i.e. miss bedtime or burn the midnight oil) - I also know that she will not raise the alarm unless it truly needs to be done. So I respect and trust that if she asks - it truly is important...and she respects that if she asks I will get it done and she doesnt need to micro manage.

We work for a man who I have worked for in the past - and have built a similar trust with. He knows my rules 1) value my time and 2) dont spin yours or someone elses wheels if I can help. He lives in China now - I have received 3 or 4 calls from him literally in the middle of the night. The first time he was floored I answered...my response "well I figure if you are calling at 3am you NEED me"...he has never abused it once...as I said he has called 2 or 3 other times at those hours and I always get up to help. He has never questioned when or how I work ever.

If I'm super busy I usually just work through lunch... I work from like 9-5:45 most days. There def have been times when I had no choice but to OT; thankfully DH can usually hang in there with DD.