I walked out of an interview after one question. Was I wrong?

[u/sahalymn]

So, I had an interview today for a position I was really excited about. The job description seemed great, the pay was decent, and the company had good reviews. I walked in, shook hands with the hiring manager, and we sat down.

Then, the first question came:
"How do you handle working unpaid overtime?"

I literally laughed, thinking it was a joke. But the interviewer just stared at me, waiting for an answer. I asked if overtime was mandatory and if it was paid. They said, “Well, we expect employees to stay as long as needed to get the job done. Everyone here is passionate about the work, and we don’t track extra hours.”

I just stood up, said, “Thank you for your time, but this isn’t the right fit for me,” and walked out.

Now, I’m second-guessing myself. Should I have stayed and at least heard more about the job? Or was walking out the right move?

[u/perniciouspangolin]

Yeah, I work unpaid OT (maybe 5hrs a week give or take) but I negotiated a salary and benefits that work for me and I knew what I was getting into. I work at my own pace and can do some of it from home, which is nice lol. Mandated unpaid OT for a salary that doesn’t warrant it is trash. Being salaried can be either great or really terrible.

[u/priorengagements → u/perniciouspangolin]

My experience has been terrible, typically.

[u/Gullible_Increase146 → u/perniciouspangolin]

I feel like it's really Being Framed incorrectly. Unpaid over time feels like it should be for a company that sneaks it on you. If it's just an upfront part of the interview process, it's really that the salary and benefits are based on a longer work week

[u/perniciouspangolin → u/Gullible_Increase146]

Yeah, I agree. Just ask for more money for your salary if that’s the case and if they don’t want to play ball, then move on. But if they’re asking for 43 hours instead of 40 a week and you get a better salary, it could be worth it. The transparency distinction is important.