Canada and other countries pay exempt employees for overtime worked (hours worked over 40 per week). The U.S. laws leave it up to the discretion of the corporations - they choose to pay NOTHING....
For us working in the technical fields we sometimes find ourselves working over 80 hours some weeks with no pay or compensation.
When we ask for compensation we are often told "Exempt Employees" do not get paid overtime and are threaten to be fired if we refuse to work!
If a business takes you from spending value time with your family and love ones we should at least get compensated for it. Corporations do not care; it is all about profit with them. Not to mention not paying overtime reduces the extra income the family would have to offset their bills.