Jan 29, 2021 08:21:38 AM Edited Oct 19, 2021 02:24:12 PM by Valeria K
At Upwork, our mission is to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. Alongside this amazing community, my team and I work hard to reduce the risk of working with people you may not know, whether they are right next door or across the world. We can work together to understand the risks and reduce harmful activity on the platform.
What is circumvention?
Circumvention is when a client and an independent professional ask for, agree to, or conduct their contract payments outside of Upwork. To help you out, we created a detailed table of what circumvention is and what is not.
Why is It harmful?
What options are there for taking work off the Upwork platform?
We want to be flexible. Although we think Upwork itself is the best choice, there are still options available if you’re going to work beyond it.
One other exception is if the client and professional had a relationship before they worked together on Upwork. In this case, they are free to work directly together at any time because the relationship did not start on Upwork. But this prior relationship must be proven to apply.
What can you do about circumvention?
If another customer asks you to move a contract, provide payment, or receive payment outside of the Upwork platform:
Reporting customers who violate our Terms of Service or behave in suspicious ways is an essential part of ensuring Upwork is a fair, safe, and trustworthy place to get great work done. We know you're on this platform to build valuable relationships and to grow your business, and keeping an eye out for each other is one of the best ways to make sure Upwork continues to be a great place to do so.
If you have any questions about circumvention, please do not hesitate to contact the support team.
See more of our Stay Safe series:
Feb 2, 2021 05:21:16 AM by Jeff B