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msuhels
Community Member

Client is asking for documentation of developed web application

Hi everyone,

 

I am a web develper and working on upwork for 8-9 years. This is the first time, one of my client is forcing me to provide a separate documentation of code. Intially we haven't discussed this. Now, he is saying it is obvious not needed to be discussed. Most of the developers doesn't have good hands in documentation but they are good in development. What's the upwork role in this case and what we can do in such case? Please advise.

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
prestonhunter
Community Member

Mohammad Suhel:

 

This is a very simple matter!

 

The client can not "force" you to do anything.

You are the freelancer.

You are in charge of how you run your freelance business.

You are the expert. You may instruct the client on how to use Upwork properly.

 

If you have an hourly contract with this client, then the client may ask you to do whatever he wants, and you may agree to do it, or you may decline.

 

If the client asks you to draw a picture of a cat, then you may agree to do that. Or you may tell the client that you don't offer that service.

 

If the client asks you to provide a certain type of documentation, then you may agree to do that, or you may decline. The CHOICE IS YOURS.


But if this is an hourly contract, the client is not doing anything wrong by asking you to provide this type of documentation.

 

The important thing is that YOU LOG TIME FOR EVERY MINUTE you spend working on the documentation. The client pays for your time.

 

If you have an hourly contract, then I advise you to NOT ARGUE about the documentation. Simply create the documentation the client is asking for and get paid while doing so.

 

======

If you have a fixed-price contract, then the client should not be asking you to do this. And you should not do it.

 

Because this documentation is NOT MENTIONED i the original task agreement.

 

Clients are not allowed to ask freelancer to work for free.

It is a VIOLATION OF UPWORK TOS for a client to ask a freelancer to work for free.

You could report a client for doing that.

 

If a client asks you to create a certain type of documentation, and that type of documentation is not specifically mentioned in the original written task agreement, then the client is asking for free work.

 

Don't argue with the freelancer. Just tell the client what his options are:

 

"Gary,

Yes, I can see how that type of documentation would be useful. This documentation is not mentioned in the original task agreement, so it would be a violation of Upwork ToS to ask for that work to be done for free. You may release the remaining money in escrow and close the current contract, and then create a new hourly contract to pay for that work. Or you may releaes the remaining money in escrow, close the current contract, and create a new fixed-price contract for $560 to pay for that work. The choice is yours."

 

And then just stand firm.

Don't do the work for free.

Don't argue with him.

 

If he says ANYTHING ELSE about it without setting up a contract to pay for the work, then you can tell him:

"Gary, it seems that there may be some confusion about this matter. Please feel free to visit community.upwork.com and ask any questions you have about how to handle this situation. I will abide by the guidance provided there. You may send me a link to the thread you create there so that I can read what they say."

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2 REPLIES 2
prestonhunter
Community Member

Mohammad Suhel:

 

This is a very simple matter!

 

The client can not "force" you to do anything.

You are the freelancer.

You are in charge of how you run your freelance business.

You are the expert. You may instruct the client on how to use Upwork properly.

 

If you have an hourly contract with this client, then the client may ask you to do whatever he wants, and you may agree to do it, or you may decline.

 

If the client asks you to draw a picture of a cat, then you may agree to do that. Or you may tell the client that you don't offer that service.

 

If the client asks you to provide a certain type of documentation, then you may agree to do that, or you may decline. The CHOICE IS YOURS.


But if this is an hourly contract, the client is not doing anything wrong by asking you to provide this type of documentation.

 

The important thing is that YOU LOG TIME FOR EVERY MINUTE you spend working on the documentation. The client pays for your time.

 

If you have an hourly contract, then I advise you to NOT ARGUE about the documentation. Simply create the documentation the client is asking for and get paid while doing so.

 

======

If you have a fixed-price contract, then the client should not be asking you to do this. And you should not do it.

 

Because this documentation is NOT MENTIONED i the original task agreement.

 

Clients are not allowed to ask freelancer to work for free.

It is a VIOLATION OF UPWORK TOS for a client to ask a freelancer to work for free.

You could report a client for doing that.

 

If a client asks you to create a certain type of documentation, and that type of documentation is not specifically mentioned in the original written task agreement, then the client is asking for free work.

 

Don't argue with the freelancer. Just tell the client what his options are:

 

"Gary,

Yes, I can see how that type of documentation would be useful. This documentation is not mentioned in the original task agreement, so it would be a violation of Upwork ToS to ask for that work to be done for free. You may release the remaining money in escrow and close the current contract, and then create a new hourly contract to pay for that work. Or you may releaes the remaining money in escrow, close the current contract, and create a new fixed-price contract for $560 to pay for that work. The choice is yours."

 

And then just stand firm.

Don't do the work for free.

Don't argue with him.

 

If he says ANYTHING ELSE about it without setting up a contract to pay for the work, then you can tell him:

"Gary, it seems that there may be some confusion about this matter. Please feel free to visit community.upwork.com and ask any questions you have about how to handle this situation. I will abide by the guidance provided there. You may send me a link to the thread you create there so that I can read what they say."

re: "What is Upwork's role in this case and what we can do in such case? Please advise."

 

Upwork doesn't want to have ANY role in this case.
Upwork wants you to resolve this on your own, without them needing to intervene.

 

Try following my advice, and the advice of any other Forum participants who post after I do in this thread.

 

It is best if you handle things like this on your own without contacting Upwork Customer Support.

 

If you really can't resolve this with the client, then you may ultimately need to do this:

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211068528-Dispute-Non-Release-of-a-Milestone-Payment

 

But I hope it doesn't come to that.

 

The client needs you more than you need him.

I hope that if you give the client choices, he will realize that his best option is to pay you for your work, rather than losing your good favor and losing access to your services.

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