Compassion and consideration in these difficult times

[breece-page-gary]

May I call on Upwork to remove the connect fees that were introduced not long ago and return to the free connects allocation per month for a few months. In these uncertain times of hardship for everyone, do your bit, I am sure you can manage for a while on your considerable 20% comission fee on each transaction, it is within your interest to support the freelance community that you rely on in these times of difficulty.

Lets work together people

[petra_r]

---

Bharadhan V wrote:

But Upwork can Freeze the JSS for the Freelancers for this period of time of the crisis as the JSS is an important  factor-based upon which (We) freelancers get projects.

So I request Upwork to look into the Freezing Of JSS.

---

Are you expecting it to sink even further? **Edited for Community Guidelines**

I've just about had it with people trying to somehow benefit directly from a global crisis that's killing thousands of people. 

[w62n]

Upwork is already a remote-work service. There really isn't much that needs addressing.
If you really want to help "in troubling and uncertain times like these," make payments from completed and approved clients expempt from the (what? week long?) "pending" status.

[gilbert-phyllis]

from Ms. Brown's message:

Accelerate receipt of payments. We have heard from many of you a heightened desire to expedite payments from your Upwork clients. We have established an internal task force that is working on how we might do this, and we will keep you posted on these efforts here in the forums.

[BojanS]

Hi Wayne,

We understand your concern around reducing the security period for your withdrawals. We currently have established an internal task force that is working on how we might do this, and we will keep you posted on these efforts.

Thank you!

[chrisbizplanner]

Hi, in what way ,are you people helping your freelancers in this trying time(Covid-19 pandemic)?

I have been on "zero connect" for ages now.

[lysis10]

---

Chris N wrote:

Hi, in what way ,are you people helping your freelancers in this trying time(Covid-19 pandemic)?

I have been on "zero connect" for ages now.

---

They provide us leads every day? Wouldn't that be helping us?

You have to buy connects now.

[feed_my_eyes]

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Announcements/We-are-here-for-you-COVID-19-Update/td-p/719217

[jonatas_o]

The connects is very expensive.

I'm in a sad situation in my country right now, because of the Virus issue and I'm not able to buy more connects to continue searching works... very sad.

You have to create some way to give us connects to be payable after the works are done.

[BojanS]

Hi Jonatas,

The safety and well-being of the Upwork community is our number one priority. At the moment, we aren't aware of any plans to make changes to Connects or offer free ones. We'll continue to monitor developments with COVID-19 closely and certainly notify our users if there are any changes.

Thank you!

[joywriter]

That's indeed why you get free connects every month! 🙂

[petra_r]

---

L. S wrote:

That's indeed why you get free connects every month! 🙂

---

No idea who or what you are responding to, but nobody "gets free connects every month" anymore.

Connects are paid for either by being bought directly, or as part of the Plus membership,

[grimesr]

I know this is not possible, but a recent post about a freelancer who is being affected by the virus such that buying connects is difficult made me think of an idea.

Is there anyway to create a "connect pool" where some of us who may have been more successful could donate a few connects to those in need? I realize this may not be doable as who would manage the distribution, but I think there must be some way to help those in need during this difficult time.

Thoughts?

[petra_r]

---

Robert G wrote:

Thoughts?

---

We are all "affected by the virus" one way or the other. Giving people more connects does more harm than good, because the idea that more connects mean earning more is false.

Most of you have no idea (yet) what it really means to be "affected by the virus"

When people around you start dying one every minute and a half, and you have been isolated for 2 months like I have, THEN let's start talking about "being affected by the virus!"

[grimesr]

Petra, you are correct, I have no idea what it is really like. I am fortunate to be in a situation that has given my family a reasonable level of safety. I really have great empathy for you and the very difficult situation you must be in, especially in the area  you live. By no means am I trying to minimize that risk you are in.

As has been pointed out in other places, the price of connects to some is almost nothing, to others it is a huge burden, exacerbated by these difficult times. My only intent was to help those who are in need if possible, (which I don't think is practical here).

Personally, I wish for the best for you.

[miles-poprawski]

Yesterday i got payment from client 200 USD and 50 USD !! went to upwork this not close to any promise i got from you CEO where are the lower spreads. What go my really nervous today since i didnt pay 14 USD im no longer premium freelance but basic CMON upwork where is your plan to support community ?
Does upwork has any support package today my account went to basic since i dont have 14 USD though i was paying more than year regular i guess please any help here 

Though i paid 50 usd for some. feed yesterday this is not fair please get back as soon as possible i need to work and you shut down my account this is kinda not fair. I demand lower feed 50 USD is way too much in current days and i have to wait 5 days for money to get paid why? 

I don't see any action in helping freelancers 

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Miles,

I would like to confirm that all payments need to go through our 5 days security period. We don’t plan to adjust fees. Upwork fees help to cover the costs of acquiring new clients and providing services like payment protection, customer support, and platform infrastructure. We'll continue to monitor developments with COVID-19 closely and notify our customers if there are any changes. Thank you.

[cartrellgeneral]

---

Miles P wrote:

I demand lower feed 50 USD is way too much in current days and i have to wait 5 days for money to get paid why? 

I don't see any action in helping freelancers 

---

Demand??? Looks like you need Upwork right now not the other way around. Maybe make a request but demand is pushing it. I understand your frustration during these times but try to maintain some professionalism. Works much better.

[feed_my_eyes]

---

Miles P wrote:

What go my really nervous today since i didnt pay 14 USD im no longer premium freelance but basic CMON upwork where is your plan to support community ?
Does upwork has any support package today my account went to basic since i dont have 14 USD though i was paying more than year regular i guess please any help here 

---

You don't need to have the paid membership - it doesn't help you win contracts and in my opinion, there's no benefit at all. So, you don't have to worry about that - just buy connects separately, and if you're worried using too many, there are lots of jobs now where your connects will be refunded if nobody is hired. (Look for a flashing blue dot on the project page.)

[miles-poprawski]

Upwork is favorizing US citizens clearly today they took 50 dollars from my earning what is more the put my account to basic and they will take 18 dollars more? Dear UPWORK as a human being I demand equal treatment all companies are. favorable during this time and your policy are beyond. I wish my account back to premium I earn 200 USD and u already took 50 dollars CMON you should help users now 

[petra_r]

---

Miles P wrote:

Upwork is favorizing US citizens clearly today they took 50 dollars from my earning 

---

The service fee of 20% on the first $ 500 is the same for all users, US or not, and the VAT is something your government demands. 

---

what is more the put my account to basic and they will take 18 dollars more?  

---

If your membership ran out then yes, that is what happens. The membership is $ 15 per month plus VAT where applicable.

---

I wish my account back to premium 

---

Upgrade your membership then...

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Miles,

We value all the independent professionals around the world that use Upwork. Freelancer Service fees are calculated the same for everybody regardless of their location and we don't have any plans to change that. As Petra pointed out in some countries we are required by the local governments to assess VAT. 

Check out Hayden's post here for more information about steps we take to help all our community members. 

[jahanianjameel]

REQUST TO UPWORK OFFICIALS ONLY ONLY

I newly started working on Upwork and I used my all of connects, COVID-19 is going on everywhere, have no work and no money, connects are used, is it possible Upwork help me in this condition that I can search for work? We are in lockdown no chance to keep ourselves up.

Regards

Jameel Jahanian

[AleksandarD]

Hi Jameel,

The safety and well-being of the Upwork community is our number one priority. At the moment, we aren't aware of any plans to make changes to Connects or offer free ones. We'll continue to monitor developments with COVID-19 closely and certainly notify our users if there are any changes.

Thank you.

[claudiacezy]

---

Jameel Ahmad S wrote:

I newly started working on Upwork and I used my all of connects

---

Even during "normal days" getting your first job on Upwork isn't an easy task and it could take alot of time and connects.

If you are in desperate need to make money dont rely only on finding a job on this platform, extend your options.

If you have only a few connects left, be ready to spend countless hours searching, don't bid on jobs blindly, read the descriptions closely, check the client history, be honest to yourself, apply only to jobs you honestly think you have chances to win.

[omarkassir]

Hi there,

I would like to propose a review regarding the charges of connects during this job crisis days; I think they should scrapped for the time being to encourage us to apply for more jobs as we're not earning money these critical days.

I need a good reaction from our fellow freelancers to convince our Upwork management to see to it. Thanks.

MY  REGARDS

#covid19_stayhome

[petra_r]

---

Omar K wrote:

I would like to propose a review regarding the charges of connects during this job crisis days; I think they should scrapped for the time being to encourage us to apply for more jobs as we're not earning money these critical days.

---

Absolutely not. The LAST thing any freelancer should want is everyone "applying for more jobs"

More freelancers with more connects would mean everyone earns LESS, not more and clients are chased away because they can't cope with the flood of applications.

[feed_my_eyes]

---

Petra R wrote:

---

---

Absolutely not. The LAST thing any freelancer should want is everyone "applying for more jobs"

More freelancers with more connects would mean everyone earns LESS, not more and clients are chased away because they can't cope with the flood of applications.

---

I was hired on two invitation-only projects last week, and one of the clients even told me that it was because he was tired of posting in the open marketplace and getting inundated with proposals. 

[omarkassir]

Getting more jobs or at least more invitations depends on the freelancer's profile and his success rate. If one is good enough for the job, he/she will get the job no matter how many freelancers are out there.

Well, I think that the Upwork management should at the least charge 2 connects for every job and let us compete in the market; don't forget they get 20% Service fee from every payment, and we have to pay VAT as well!!

So please, some common sense here.

Regards

[feed_my_eyes]

---

Omar K wrote:

Getting more jobs or at least more invitations depends on the freelancer's profile and his success rate. If one is good enough for the job, he/she will get the job no matter how many freelancers are out there.

Well, I think that the Upwork management should at the least charge 2 connects for every job and let us compete in the market; don't forget they get 20% Service fee from every payment, and we have to pay VAT as well!!

So please, some common sense here.

Regards

---

My point was that clients get tired of wading through 50+ proposals on their projects, that's WHY I got that invite-only project; it doesn't matter who else might have been good enough for that job, because they never even had a chance. The more freelancers there are, the less often you will rotate to the top of the search results, and when you bid on projects, it's less likely that a client will notice your bid after they've already received 50 other offers.

The only thing that results in more jobs for everyone is more clients, not more freelancers throwing free connects around.

[yeti_bite]

Feel like now would be a great time to drop a solid promo code for those of us suffering from the lack of work from COVID19. 

[dsmgdesign]

Good idea about the promo. Even though I'm not a fan of buying connects, I don't want Upwork to give out free ones either for purely selfish reasons (unless there is a limitation like there used to be),  The only thing that would do is increase the amount of proposals on each job that I would apply to. Why would I want to throw my name in a mix with 50+ freelancers that clients would have to weed through. Instead, I would love to see Upwork to offer a lower fee strucure on awarded contracts as a Covid promotion. I also agree with the idea rasied by many here that Upwork should return connects if nobody is hired. They were beta testing this, but I'm not sure where they are on that. 

[cobweb_]

Do you know if Upwork thinks of anti-crisis measures or how to share the difficulties in those CORONA days ? 

It appears that at the moment that globally value projects are declining - maybe because economies of all countries don't work and a very large percentage of projects are just for bidding and just nobody works them, and we pay between 4-6 connectors on average to submit an offer.

I can advice:  Isn't it time to reduce the purchase fees for connectors or give at least 180 for the same amount. the current 80 are not totally enough, given that most projects are not completed.

[feed_my_eyes]

I've seen quite a few projects where connects will be returned if the client doesn't hire anyone (look for the blue dot on the project page). Freelancers who are worried about "wasting" their connects can bid on those projects.

[chworker24]

It may be a good sound and helpful, but if applied to everyone I expect the opposite results because it will be annoying to employers. such a procedure would reduce the quality of the proposals.
Frankly, after trying many platforms, I couldn't find a better working system than Upwork.
All you need to do is focus well on the quality of the proposal you send ( please check well the status of employers like reviews and especially Last viewed by the client and Interviewing statistics.) please choose a good and active project.

I agree with you, but I hope to find a helpful solution without affecting the quality. The lack of quality will lead the business to leave the platform, which means fewer job opportunities.

I am also a new freelancer here, But I am very optimistic about this platform. let me assure you that the quality of the platform is greater than you think. I am sure that by continuing and trying to provide the best will make any user succeed. 

Best Regards.

[sbalkhi1]

 Gary,

I think Upwork should advertise, apporach to employers and  encourage businesses to post more jobs on Upwork and help freelancers to do more projects.  

We want to see more projects on Upwork.

Syed 

[shansd]

Hi Friends Stay Safe From Corona Virus 

Does uwwork applying the same rating system for the top rated proogramme in a situation like covid has hit the presense of clients and freelancers .I think the parameters has to be changed. We donot have projects to do like earlier had .Also bring down service charges also expected .What do you think 

[AveryO]

Hi Chanika, 

Thanks for reaching out. Like people across the globe, we too are watching this unfold. At this time of uncertainties, our focus is on maintaining our existing business and making sure that freelancers and clients can count on Upwork. We aren’t currently planning any changes in light of COVID-19, but we are closely monitoring this unprecedented event. We also have created an internal task force to see if it’s possible to shorten the security period on payments so that freelancers can get their earnings faster. We will keep you posted on this effort.

[97621d53]

Is Upwork offering free Connects to help out-of-work Freelancers find work during the coronavirus crisis?

[colettelewis]

---

Katheryn K wrote:

Is Upwork offering free Connects to help out-of-work Freelancers find work during the coronavirus crisis?

---

_____________________

No, and I don't think it would really help. What would help is more quality clients. 

[97621d53]

It would help me apply for jobs. I have no connects and can't afford to
purchase any.