I don’t think you’re being too cynical. A strong team should absolutely support one another when circumstances require extra effort, but that... shouldn’t mean employees are expected to sacrifice their personal time whenever the company needs overtime.

The phrase “we’re a family” can represent a positive workplace culture when it means people genuinely support and respect each other.
It becomes a problem when it’s used to create guilt or question someone’s loyalty for maintaining reasonable boundaries. Employees can care about their coworkers, take pride in their work, and still say no to overtime.

A healthy team earns commitment through mutual respect—not by making people feel guilty for having a life outside of work. more