Bringing an employer to UpWork to manage payment and improve JSS. Does this violate UpWork's policy?

[438d579e]

I have an employer whom I'd like to bring onto UpWork for payment and and JSS improvement on my relatively new UpWork account.

Is it okay if ask him to create a job posting and SOLELY invite me to a job? Does obtaining a job through this process violate UpWork's Terms of Service in anyway? Should "Direct Contracts" be strictly be used such a scenatio?

If it does violate, is there any way I can bring my trusted clients over to UpWork and at the same time improve my JSS score without violating UpWork's terms?

I eagerly look forward to your valuable feedback.

[BojanS]

Hi Venkata,

Offering services for the sole purpose of obtaining positive feedback would be considered feedback manipulation which is a serious Upwork TOS violation.

You can send a link to your profile to your client and they can sign up for an Upwork account and hire you for a contract. Make sure that you and your client provide honest feedback.

Edited for clarity

Thank you!

[438d579e]

Hi Bojan,

Thanks for your reponse.  I request two clarifications with repect to your answer.

1. Are you referring to "Direct Contract" when you refer to contract in your answer or is it something else? I know Direct Contract does not effect JSS or sdo not how tally to "Total Earned" and "Reviews".
2. Can my client order a "Pre-packaged project"? Does it contribute to my JSS and upon completition will the Project and Review be listed under my profile? Is this equivalent to being hired for a Job Posting?It is considered a violation my existing off-site client hires me through it?

I'm really confused with this, can you please give me a definitive answer for:

How can I bring my clients to UpWork and build my profile such that the jobs I take up with them will contribute to my JSS, Work History, Reviews and Lifetime Earning, etc. WITHOUT violating any ToS?

Look forward to your valuable feedback, Bojan! Thanks again.

[JoanneP]

Hi Venkata,

Bojan was referring to sharing your profile link to your client so that they can sign up to Upwork and hire you for their project. Direct contracts are different. Since your client does not have an Upwork account they need a specially generated link to be able to access the contract information. You can find this link by going to the “Contract Details” page, clicking on the three dots icon (...) and selecting “Share contract link.” You can find more information about Direct Contracts in this help article. 

As for your question regarding Pre-Packaged Projects, contracts set up via a Pre-Packaged Project will work like any Upwork contract and the client will have the option to leave feedback that could impact your Job Success Score. However, as part of the Early Access Program, you will be able to request feedback removal once a month on contracts started through your projects. To learn more about Pre-Packaged Projects, click here.

[438d579e]

Hi Joanne,

Thanks for the clarification. This is what I understand from this thread:

1. Client hires me through an Job Posting specifically made for me - Violates ToS. DOES Impacts: JSS, Work History, Reviews, etc.

2. Client hires me throught "Direct Contract" - ToS Compliant. No influence on your UpWork profile. DOES NOT Impact: JSS, Work History, Reviews, etc.

3.  Client hires me through "On-Profile Hire Button or a Pre-Packaged Project" - ToS Compiliant. DOES Impact: JSS, Work History, Reviews, etc.

Is my above conclusion correct about the various hiring options available for my client? If yes, based on this, I'm arriving at the following course of action:

I shall cancel all contracts taken with my existing Client under Option 1.  Then, I will bring my client through Option 3. that is "Hire" or "Pre-Packaged" Project which DOES NOT violate any ToS, but at the same time it will positively impact my UpWork JSS, Work History, Reviews, etc.

Respectufully, This is quite a sensitive issue for me since I'm planning to bring over $5000+ worth of monthly services onto UpWork in the hope of building a portfolio. I wouldn't want to jeopradise my entire account due to some petty confusion in the long run.

Once again, I humbly request you to categorically answer my above inquieries one last time so that I can keep it on record. Does my above course of action fully guarantee that I am fully ToS compliant when I bring my clients to UpWork to build up my profile?

[438d579e]

Hello everyone,

I'm interested in bringing my clients (total over $5,000) over to UpWork and build my brand new freelancing account in the process. I've already done several projects with them therefore I'm confident I will get good reviews for my work.

I wish to know a way in which I can bring my clients over and at the same time build my JSS score, Lifetime Earnings, Work History and Reviews. I DO NOT want to violate any UpWok ToS in the process. 

So far I've come across the following methods to get my clients to hire me:

1. Direct Contracts -  Does not show up in Work History, Reviews and Lifetime Earning
2. Job Posting - Shows up everywhere but cannot be used for hiring directly.
3. Packaged Projects - Not sure if this is equivalent to Job Posting.

I'm really confused with this, can someone please concretely give an answer for:

Can I bring my clients to UpWork and build my profile such that the jobs I take up with them shows up in my JSS, Work History, Reviews and Lifetime Earning, etc.

I would deeply appreciate if you anyone can clear this confusion for me!

Kind Regards

[petra_r]

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Venkata V wrote:

. I DO NOT want to violate any UpWok ToS in the process. 

---

You seem to have two Upwork accounts. This one, and the one you are working on. That, alone, is a bannable violation of Upwork's terms of service.

As for your question (which has already been answered elsewhere)

Getting aquaintances to hire you just to boost your metrics is a policy violation.

[438d579e]

Dear Petra,

I manage two accounts one for Hiring and other for Freelancing since UpWork strangely assuming that both role cannot be assumed in the same account.

My colleague and I operate on the same network on different accounts. I hope there is no violation of ToS with this regard of account creation.

[petra_r]

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Venkata V wrote:

I manage two accounts one for Hiring and other for Freelancing since UpWork strangely assuming that both role cannot be assumed in the same account.

---

Upwork assumes no such thing. You are required to have your client and freelancer profiles on one and the same account. 

[438d579e]

Understood, thank you. 

An honest confusion on my end. I hope I'm not liable for any future action againt me for this reason if I close one of my accounts immedately, yes?

[feed_my_eyes]

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Venkata V wrote:

I'm really confused with this, can someone please concretely give an answer for:

Can I bring my clients to UpWork and build my profile such that the jobs I take up with them shows up in my JSS, Work History, Reviews and Lifetime Earning, etc.

I would deeply appreciate if you anyone can clear this confusion for me!

---

I'm confused, too. I THINK that what they're saying - and I don't work for Upwork, so don't take my answer as definitive - that you ARE allowed to ask your clients to use Upwork in order to manipulate your feedback, but you're not allowed to say that that's WHY you're doing it. Somebody else just asked this question on another thread, and got this response:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/Invite-my-client-to-post-a-job-on-upwork/m-p/816619#M1...

[zoomconcepts]

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Bojan S wrote:

Hi Venkata,

Yes, this would be considered as feedback building which is a serious Upwork TOS violation.

You can send a link to your profile to your client and they can sign up for an Upwork account and hire you for a contract. Make sure that you and your client provide honest feedback.

Thank you!

---

So basically... yes, it would be considered a ToS violation, but you can go ahead and do it if you both solemnly swear to provide honest feedback? Which is it? 

[BojanS · Accepted solution]

Hi All, 

I’d like to apologize for the confusion and lack of clarity in our previous responses and clarify a few points.

If a freelancer would like to use Upwork to manage their contracts and payments with a client who isn’t yet registered on Upwork, they can certainly do it. There are two ways to do that. First option: the freelancer can either share their profile link with the client, the client can sign up for an account, and hire them either by clicking the Hire button or by using Pre-packaged Projects (both of those options will result in a regular contract.) Second option is using the Direct Contract option with that client which doesn’t require the client to sign up for an Upwork account. 

What’s against Upwork TOS is attempting to or actually manipulating or misusing the feedback system and/or offering services for the sole purpose of obtaining positive feedback of any kind. For more information about that, please refer here.