Freelancers and consultants have one more option: offer the boss two choices: (1) do the work during regular business hours, or (2) do the work now for twice your normal rate. Actually, in-house employees have this option too, it's just less socially acceptable to ask for overtime pay in many organizations.
Sometimes business emergencies do just pop up, but it's surprising how quickly an emergency dissipates as soon as there's an extra cost associated with solving it (or not surprising, depending on how jaded you are). Assigning explicit costs to emergency work is an easy way to make a team more efficient.
Sometimes business emergencies do just pop up, but it's surprising how quickly an emergency dissipates as soon as there's an extra cost associated with solving it (or not surprising, depending on how jaded you are). Assigning explicit costs to emergency work is an easy way to make a team more efficient.