You work for free - if you're not careful

[jarihu]

Scenario:

- Freelancer chats with an old client and gets a new task

- Freelancer opens Upwork app, sees client's name there and starts tracking time

- Freelancer has only a milestone contract with a client but doesn't check or remember that
- Freelancer finishes the task, stops time tracking
- Freelancer accidentally notices that he didn't have an hourly contract with this client at all

- Upwork and freelancer loses money. Client gets free work.

- Freelancer angry. Client happy.

WHY?
Upwork app allows freelancer to select ALL active contracts and track time even with clients who do NOT have an hourly contract.

FIX?
- Show ONLY active hourly contracts in Upwork app OR
- Show a BIG warning dialog if no hourly contract is active when trying to track time.

This story was based on true events. Freelancer's feelings and income were hurt during the event.

(only $10 lost fortunately)

Has this happened to you? Were you aware of this possibility?

[voskerchian]

Hi Jari,

I got your point and this can happen to a lot of freelancers. BUT there are cases when I want to track the time even when I have a fixed price contract and I don't really want use another tracker as well. Didn't happen to me, but maybe some clients with fixed price contracts ask to use the tracker as well. There could, or probably should be a warning, but the most important thing is to be careful.

[petra_r]

That makes no sense.

If you had just jumped in and worked on a fixed rate contract without a FUNDED milestone the result would have been the same...

You have 40 open contracts, it makes sense to quickly check what kind of contract you have with any given client before working when you have so many.

Many people track their time for some fixed rate contracts. I do occasionally.

Just because you made a mistake should not mean everyone else should have that ability taken away from them.

You made a mistake. You learned from it. It was $ 10 Dollar lesson, cheap at the price. We all make mistakes...

I make mistakes, I learn from them. Like when I forget to turn the tracker on (don't do that again for a while) or track to the wrong contract (don't do that again for a while either)

🙂

[holymell]

Yeah, you still could have submitted your work and gotten paid.
This one's on you, OP. This is not Upwork's fault. It's yours.

Read about the platform before you use it.

I guess that sounds super rude. Sorry. Everyone does make mistakes. I myself didn't learn all about the platform before I used it and had a client modify milestones on me.

I'll leave my rude comment so people can see why I'm apologizing. I was a hypocrite there. Sorry.

[tta192]

Yes, it was a mistake to work without the milestone in place, but did you actually deliver the work, ask for payment, and got refused ? 

They can still pay you via a bonus. If they don't, make sure to ask for this the next time they have a task for you. Of course, it all depends on how 'old' this 'old client' is...

[jarihu]

Finally the change has been implemented.

[booksist]

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@jari H wrote:

Scenario:

- Freelancer chats with an old client and gets a new task

- Freelancer opens Upwork app, sees client's name there and starts tracking time

- Freelancer has only a milestone contract with a client but doesn't check or remember that
- Freelancer finishes the task, stops time tracking
- Freelancer accidentally notices that he didn't have an hourly contract with this client at all

- Upwork and freelancer loses money. Client gets free work. [...]

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 If I were the freelancer in this scenario, I wouldn't blame Upwork...