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77013278
Community Member

Support for Freelancer in Natural Disasters & Holiday bonus

Hi,

I'd like to be able to provide a holiday gift and or relief funds for a natural disaster  (the house of one of my freelancers is gone)

QUESTION / RECOMENDATION 1

Is there a way to send a gift so that my freelancer receives all the money (they do not pay a fee) and I still pay my fee?

RECOMMENDATION 2

it would be AMAZING if UpWork notified clients when their UpWorkers are in areas of disaster, either for patience and or for support (my freelancer was anxious that I was going to cancel my contract).

Thank you!

 

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
kochubei_valeria
Community Member

Hi Allegra,


Thanks for sharing your concern and suggestions with us. It is very thoughtful of you to reach out and offer help to a freelancer you're working with who's been affected by a natural disaster. I've shared your recommendations and concerns with the team. We'll work on improving ways we could support our community in situations like this.

~ Valeria
Upwork

View solution in original post

9 REPLIES 9
prestonhunter
Community Member

re: "Is there a way to send a gift so that my freelancer receives all the money (they do not pay a fee) and I still pay my fee?"

 

No. There is no such button.

However, keep in mind that the freelancer does not ACTUALLY pay anything out of pocket.

 

If you decide to send a $100 bonus payment (for example), Upwork will keep the requisite percent fee (e.g. 20%, or twenty dollars), but the remaining money goes to the freelancer: $80. The freelancer is never charged anything out of his own pocket. Technically you (the client) are actually paying the fee.

Thanks Preston

kochubei_valeria
Community Member

Hi Allegra,


Thanks for sharing your concern and suggestions with us. It is very thoughtful of you to reach out and offer help to a freelancer you're working with who's been affected by a natural disaster. I've shared your recommendations and concerns with the team. We'll work on improving ways we could support our community in situations like this.

~ Valeria
Upwork

Hi Valeria,

I have a follow up question,

1. Is it possible to send my Up worker and advance?

2. Can you tell whether their bank is accepting  money (Cebu, Philippines)?

3. Can you determine whether they are able to withdraw money?

thank you!

Allegra,

 

As long as you have a contract with a freelancer, you can issue a bonus anytime. Check out this help article for detailed steps and screenshots describing how to do that. Unfortunately, we won't be able to provide information about the payment method they're using to access their earnings on Upwork. There are no issues with withdrawals on Upwork's end currently, so as long as they have added a valid payment method, they should be able to initiate a withdrawal. 

~ Valeria
Upwork

I don't know how things work in other countries, but in the US, any money that would be sent via Upwork would be considered income and be taxable. Money sent to someone as a gift outside of Upwork would not be taxable as long as it is within certain limits. Not to mention sending a gift via Upwork is subject to Upwork taking its cut. If someone really wants to send a gift, the best way to do it and make sure the full amount goes to the person receiving it is to do it directly. 

I am going to post some GENERAL TIPS for clients. These are my own opinions. I don't represent Upwork or anybody but myself.

 

It is important to note that this post has nothing to do with the original poster. It has nothing to do with any freelancers she has hired. It has nothing to do with her situation.

 

Q. Can I send money directly to an Upwork freelancer, such as to their bank account or PayPal account?

A. No. If you are doing so, both the client and freelancer could be suspended or permanently terminated from the platform.

 

Q. Should I send an "advance" to an Upwork freelancer?

A. Never

 

Q. If I send an advance (or "upfront payment") to a freelancer for some work, and then the freelancer never actually does that work, can I get the money back?

A. No.

 

Q. Is it acceptable to send an advance (upfront payment) to a freelancer?

A. Yes. It is acceptable to do so. It is not a violation of Upwork rules.

 

Q. A freelancer who is working for me said that her aunt is in the hospital and she needs money for the medicine and the operation and...

A. The freelancer is either (a) lying of (b) behaving inappropriately. These claims come from scripts that are circulated within the scammer community. Scammers call their work "The Game." It is NOT merely about making money by scamming "foreigners." It is a lifestyle. The deception is an adrenaline rush and is part of "The Game," and is celebrated in art, songs, music videos, and even comedy TV series that feature scammers and scam call center workers. A professional Upwork freelancer may indeed have financial needs related to a sick relative, but will never discuss that with clients.

 

Q. What if I want to support...

A. Charitable giving is to be commended. The appropriate place to do so is through your church, synagogue, mosque, local community organization, or national/international charitable organization that you trust. Upwork is not set up for that. Having said that, Upwork has done more to actually help people in developing countries and impoverished communities than any charitable organization you can name. You, as a client, do more to help people by giving them an opportunity to work than you could possibly do by giving them money directly.

Hi Preston, In another post you are in "Can I send a gift card in the mail to freelancer I have hired?" the answer is Yes, from a moderator, to gifts outside of UpWork.

re: "Preston, In another post you are in 'Can I send a gift card in the mail to freelancer I have hired?' the answer is Yes, from a moderator, to gifts outside of UpWork."

 

Upwork Forum Moderators have said that Clients may send gift cards to Upwork freelancers. This is not a violation of any rules.

 

However: Gift cards may NOT be sent to freelancers as a form of payment for work. Gift cards may only be sent as freely given gifts.

 

As a client, I think that sending a bonus (which can be done through Upwork's client-side "Send bonus" tool) or maybe even a gift card is a great idea. As a client, if I have freelancers working for me, I know that sending a bonus or gift is a very small investment that makes a big impact. It can engender significant freelancer loyalty and dedication, in ways that go beyond mathematics.

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