Compassion and consideration in these difficu... - Page 4

breece-page-gary · ‎03-18-2020

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

reichstephen · ‎03-23-2020

Hi Christine,

I am a graphic artist and have had long time clients put projects on hold. It all depends on the what they make and sell. My other clients are proceeding with caution. The world has changed. All companies need to adjust to survive. We have a world pandemic that will touch all of us. There will be less jobs in every creative market. I'm sure Upwork will be fine.

Have a great day!

ricardorogoski · ‎03-23-2020

Isn`t time to the Upwork start to giving discounts on Connects' prices?

With the whole world going into isolation at home, it is becoming very difficult to get our proposals accepted and I am spending a considerable amount of money just buying Connects that are spent with no return.

I hope that Upwork is socially aware and aware of its responsibility in this moment of global crisis where freelancers are having a hard time.

mtngigi · ‎03-23-2020

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/Compassion-and-consideration-in-these-difficult-times/td...

petra_r · ‎03-24-2020

Ricardo B wrote:
Isn`t time to the Upwork start to giving discounts on Connects' prices?

With the whole world going into isolation at home, it is becoming very difficult to get our proposals accepted and I am spending a considerable amount of money just buying Connects that are spent with no return.

Ricardo, giving more freelancers more (or cheaper) connects does not help individual freelancers win more jobs.

In fact, the opposite is the case.

The more freelancers spend more connects, the less each freelancer gets hired and earns money. This is a very simple, very basic fact.

Unless there are more clients actually hiring, more connects means LESS work and LESS money.

bizwriterjohn · ‎03-23-2020

To us, Upwork seems like a (relatively) simple app that accounts for profiles, portfolios, job listings, applications, etc. The infrastructure to run our business.

Sitting behind this is an Enterprise-IT-class system with millions of lines of code. It would take, by a conservative estimate, 100s of thousands of dollars for Upwork IT to make the changes you indicate. From there, changes in contractor support materials - help screens would be needed. Retraining of all customer service agents to handle questions about free connects. And in general put Upwork IT into a two, three, four month long development cycle.

From there, freelancers who have hit hard times would start flooding the airwaves with proposals, so we would see '20 to 50' proposals spinning up for commonly delivered services.

What seems like a simple, good-natured move to help Upworkers out with some free connects, is most probably a downstream large-scale change to an Enterprise IT system involving an entire team of programmers and impacting a million lines of code system.

tomalahsan · ‎03-24-2020

Hello,

Has anyone seen or have received any notes from Upwork??
The Coronavirus outbreak and what's happening within the Freelance community and customers, what needs to be done and how to stay above water......?

Did I somehow miss that email? I've been getting a lot of emails from Payoneer, PayPal and other platforms. Expert opinions, suggestions, what to do or how to practice patience to recover from the state of depression. I am not expecting any kind of subsidy or reduced connection fees (reduced charges out of the question, we are not that mean)

The number of job postings has reduced dramatically gone down, quality jobs (rare)
All I see is "No Invites. No Hires. What's Wrong?"

I do understand what's going on around the world but reducing the percentage that is charged to both buyers and providers at the moment will boost our energy, no doubt.

Stay Safe...
Tomal

lysis10 · ‎03-24-2020

oh, I don't think we're in aftermath mode yet. We're still in "oh poop" mode.

tomalahsan · ‎03-24-2020

Trying hard to stay afloat and look beyond...

AveryO · ‎03-24-2020

Hi Tomal,

The safety and well-being of the Upwork community is our number one priority. We are continuing to monitor developments with COVID-19 closely and will notify our customers if there are any changes. Stay safe!

~ Avery

reichstephen · ‎03-25-2020

Tomal,

Nope, Upwork management has shown zero leadership. The worlds business community is reaching out to customers to help aid with the financial hardship or tips to help in this crisis. Upwork still has its head in the sand. Not surprising from gig economy company. Take care or yourself.

joansands · ‎03-25-2020

Stephen - I don't understand people like you who have made a lot of money on Upwork but take every chance they can get to malign Upwork.

reichstephen · ‎03-25-2020

Hi Joan,

I'm sorry if you feel I slighted Upwork. All I am doing is stating facts. Yes i have made some money on Upwork but I would have made more if I didnt have to pay a 20% commission. I have worked for big companies and managed first responders in emergency events. I know when I am treated with respect and appreciated. LIke I've said before I don't need anything from Upwork. Do I expect them to address this pandemic crisis just like they addressed the illogical JSS score or paying for connects? Not really. Life goes on. This Pandemic will wreck our economy. We all will suffer. I wish you the best of health.

“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” ― John Adams

joansands · ‎03-25-2020

Well, Stephen, Upwork has never made a profit so I just hope they manage to stay in business. As for fees, I sometimes pay 20% and sometimes I pay 10%. I can work in my nightgown if I want and I don't have the expenses of going to a job, having to have nice clothes, and paying for lunches every day when I can eat cheaply at home. I also have acquired clients that I never would have been able to do on my own. It has been a lot of work to make a go of it on Upwork but it has been more than worth it. I am so tired of all the complaints people make but they probably make them everywhere they go. As for facts, they are, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder.

petra_r · ‎03-26-2020

Stephen R wrote:
The worlds business community is reaching out to customers to help aid with the financial hardship

Stephen, not one of the spammy "We're thinking of you" emails I have got has given me any money or freebies. They try to sell me something, tell me to wash my hand, or send thoughts and prayers.

reichstephen · ‎03-26-2020

Petra

There is a world crisis. If you chose to send spammy email outlining all the ways a company is offering its customers can arrange to make there payments its a acknowledgement of the problem. The US government is issuing citizens $1,200 checks and unemployment for freelancers and eligible for the additional $600 weekly benefit provided by the federal government. Not sure where you live but I am sure some government official will be offering some type of program if your quarantined. If Upwork has no empathy for its gig workers so be it.

petra_r · ‎03-26-2020

Stephen R wrote:
There is a world crisis.

REALLY? I must have somehow missed it.

I am in Italy. People have been dying at a rate of one every minute 48 second. It hasn't escaped my attention.

Stephen R wrote:
Not sure where you live

See above. I've been living this nightmare since January. Two clicks would have shown you.

Stephen R wrote:
The US government is issuing citizens................. If Upwork has no empathy for its gig workers so be it.

Upwork isn't a government. Your rage is rather misplaced.

You are also not looking for empathy, really, are you? You want a handout. Isnt's that what your government is there for?

The stuff people are asking for in this thread are NOT good for freelancers. Throwing free connects at newbies is not good for freelancers. If Upwork wants to help freelancers, they should be encouraging clients to hire more.

That's what helps freelancers!

reichstephen · ‎03-26-2020

No rage here. Just facts.

No, Upwork is not a government. Its a business that should take ownership and lead.

Have a safe, happy, healthy day!

feed_my_eyes · ‎03-26-2020

Stephen R wrote:
No rage here. Just facts.
No, Upwork is not a government. Its a business that should take ownership and lead.
Have a safe, happy, healthy day!

Stephen, if you're not looking for a handout, then what exactly are you looking for in terms of "take ownership and lead"? I'm genuinely curious as to what - specifically - you think that Upwork should do. The website is already full of advice on how to set up your profile and how to get more customers and so on, so anyone who's new here has access to plenty of help. You want them to provide financial advice or something now? How would that work, with everyone being in different circumstances and located in different countries?

As for asking for free connects... Upwork has already reversed its policy and started refunding connects on many projects. It also seems to me that the number of connects required to bid on projects has been declining; when paid connects were introduced last year, nearly every project that I bid on cost 6 connects, but now I'm finding lots of 1- and 2-connect projects. Unfortunately, this hasn't resulted in me being hired more often than previously, and now with new freelancers joining every day, there are 50+ bids on every project... but presumably people should be happier now that they're saving a few pennies on connects.

Personally, I'd just like Upwork to focus on their marketing efforts and try to find new clients to bring to the platform.

michelle-trevino · ‎03-26-2020

I think it would be better to lower fees on both sides for the next month. It could encourage more businesses to post jobs.

Almost everyone is being affected financially by COVID-19. For freelancers, it can hit us harder than most. I just paid someone that works with me their fees for the next month. Even though they can't do the work for me because we are on lockdown, they still need the money. That's the type of employer I'd want to have and how I'd want to be. We can make it through this together if we help each other out.

reichstephen · ‎03-26-2020

Hi Christine,

Take ownership and lead is easy to understand. A historical event is happening. Upwork can try to understand the world has changed and offer some solutions. Maybe acknowledge they are in process of brainstorming examples like releasing funds faster, giving more connects to freelancers or reducing membership for 3 months, partnering with Adobe Creative Suite to help freelancers with training, subscriptions, stock photo fees, reducing the 20 % commission for 3 months. Maybe they can just send an email saying, "Hey this really sucks, good luck!"

Again I have work but I have clients shut down jobs because frankly its a life of death. I know Upwork is working from home and in the same situation we all are in. It my opinion they will do nothing. Marketing to companies with no income is like getting blood from a stone. Good luck to all! Time to get a stocking job at a grocery store.

aleenahazel · ‎03-26-2020

Hello everyone,

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Was wondering, with the pandemic causing financial hardship would it be possible to ask Upwork to let freelancers use free Connects this month?

It's true, they don't cost much but it makes me hesitant to bid on something that takes 6 Connects (in the past the most I saw were 2 Connects to apply.) Every little bit helps and if we are able to apply for more jobs it could make a big difference.

Thoughts or advice on how to proceed?

Thanks again,

Aleena

kochubei_valeria · ‎03-26-2020

Hi Aleena,

At the moment, we aren't aware of any plans to make changes to Connects or offer free ones. You can refer to Hayden's post here for more information of what we're doing to help our Community.

~ Valeria

claudiacezy · ‎04-05-2020

Stephen R wrote:
Again I have work but I have clients shut down jobs because frankly its a life of death. I know Upwork is working from home and in the same situation we all are in. It my opinion they will do nothing. Marketing to companies with no income is like getting blood from a stone. Good luck to all! Time to get a stocking job at a grocery store.

Check the "Freelancers Relief Fund", assistance is open to any independent worker in the U.S. ... Upwork is a Founding Partner.

asad176 · ‎03-25-2020

As it's a scary time in the world right now. So I think upwork should provide new freelancers with free connects so that it will encourge new bees to get enspire to stay home and work from home. I think its a good think to motivate people towards freelancing. Freelance.com is also doing somthig like that and I think its a good think to do. Is it not ?
I believe that new bees can do amazing work. That's why I want to catch the attention of upwork team towards this. I hope upwork team want to help new freelancers any way they can.

jr-translation · ‎03-25-2020

Asad Ali H wrote:
As it's a scary time in the world right now. So I think upwork should provide new freelancers with free connects so that it will encourge new bees to get enspire to stay home and work from home. I think its a good think to motivate people towards freelancing. Freelance.com is also doing somthig like that and I think its a good think to do. Is it not ?
I believe that new bees can do amazing work. That's why I want to catch the attention of upwork team towards this. I hope upwork team want to help new freelancers any way they can.

A: New freelancers receive 20 connects when signing up.

B: You signed up in 2018, so it would not apply to you. Are you looking for more competition?

serkandbn · ‎03-25-2020

To whom it may concern,
I will request you to do something within this tough period. As you know, we are all in trouble with Coronovırus and we have difficulty in coping with it. Most of the people are in quarantine in their houses. Also, most of them including me cannot afford to buy any Connect since they cannot take a job. If you at least make the Connects free during this period, we can stay at home and easily find a job. Could you supply us with the free Connects, please?

petra_r · ‎03-25-2020

Serkan D wrote:
If you at least make the Connects free during this period, we can stay at home and easily find a job.

No, you will not "easily find a job" if millions of desperate people rush to the platform and try to win work.

Free connects do not mean more work, it means the opposite.

feed_my_eyes · ‎03-25-2020

Petra R wrote:
Serkan D wrote:
If you at least make the Connects free during this period, we can stay at home and easily find a job.
No, you will not "easily find a job" if millions of desperate people rush to the platform and try to win work.

Free connects do not mean more work, it means the opposite.

Well, apparently Upwork IS giving free connects to anyone who complains enough. I don't mind paying the pocket change that connects cost, but it's a real slap in the face to long-time freelancers like me if Upwork is auto-accepting loads of temporary freelancers and encouraging them to flood the marketplace. In a couple of months, these people will return to their regular jobs and leave clients high and dry, so how is this a good business strategy?

kochubei_valeria · ‎03-25-2020

Abinadab and Christine,

We occasionally grant Connects as part of a promotion or other program. Eligibility and criteria vary depending on a number of circumstances. At the moment I'm not aware of any plans to give free connects or stop this initiative due to the situation with COVID-19.

~ Valeria

european74 · ‎03-26-2020

Hi

When Upwork will reduce commmision for service?

European people pays total about 27% commision for Upwork.

It includes 20% commision for Upwork and about 7% VAT.

Also we pay taxes here in European countries. It is about 17-20%.

So total we pay 44 % - 47%. Do you think you could reduce Upwork's commision in troubling and uncertain times?

dianakaty · ‎03-26-2020

Hello fellow freelancers,

I have just received a standard e-mail from Upwork's CEO & President - Hayden Brown - offering his moral support to freelancers, presenting various efforts being made, that I appreciate, but which I find helpful only in the long run. He said he'd like us to let them know what else could Upwork do to help its freelancers.

In my opinion, best way & fast measure to make a real impact on our income would be Upwork to stop charging Service Fees throughout the entire COVID-19 world crisis for all types of contracts & work. Couple of dollars saved here, couple of dollars saved there, could help as pay the Internet fee, at least, during these hard times.

Another measure (should be permanent, in my opinion) all credits that were used for jobs we applied to, but where clients didn't hire anyone at all, should be reimbursed into our balance.

And speaking about clients with many jobs posted, but slim to none hiring rate - these are a waste of precious time, in the long run and I see it happening more and more often, so I believe a good measure would be to offer them the chance to post up to 3 jobs & the obligativity to hire for at least one. I know that clients are super important, but freelancers are at the core of this business, so let's truly support the ones who built Upwork up.

Hope it makes sense to many what I've wrote & especially to the key people on this platform.

Stay safe wherever you are, stay at home & try to keep the good vibes alive!

Remember: "This too shall pass!" 🙂

Best,

Diana

reichstephen · ‎03-26-2020

Hi Diana,

Upwork's CEO & President - Hayden Brown is a woman unless they have multiple Hayden Browns's running Upwork.

Thank you for the update. All positive steps in the right direction if implemented.

Stay safe!

dianakaty · ‎03-27-2020

Yes, my apologies for not checking first if the CEO was a he or she! Found out in the mean time.

Thank you!

researchediting · ‎03-26-2020

Diana - Catalina C wrote:
In my opinion, best way & fast measure to make a real impact on our income would be Upwork to stop charging Service Fees throughout the entire COVID-19 world crisis for all types of contracts & work.

You have just proposed that Upwork forego its primary source of revenue, and the only one that may eventually lead it to profitability. In other words, you have proposed that Upwork go bankrupt.

And speaking about clients with many jobs posted, but slim to none hiring rate - these are a waste of precious time, in the long run and I see it happening more and more often, so I believe a good measure would be to offer them the chance to post up to 3 jobs & the obligativity to hire for at least one. I know that clients are super important, but freelancers are at the core of this business, so let's truly support the ones who built Upwork up.

Freelancers do not bring the money to the table. You are proposing that if clients post what are essentially want ads, they be obligated to hire someone. Where else in the entire wide world of hiring and contracting is that the case? Why on earth should it be? How on earth could it be?

feed_my_eyes · ‎03-26-2020

Diana - Catalina C wrote:

In my opinion, best way & fast measure to make a real impact on our income would be Upwork to stop charging Service Fees throughout the entire COVID-19 world crisis for all types of contracts & work. Couple of dollars saved here, couple of dollars saved there, could help as pay the Internet fee, at least, during these hard times.

Another measure (should be permanent, in my opinion) all credits that were used for jobs we applied to, but where clients didn't hire anyone at all, should be reimbursed into our balance.

And speaking about clients with many jobs posted, but slim to none hiring rate - these are a waste of precious time, in the long run and I see it happening more and more often, so I believe a good measure would be to offer them the chance to post up to 3 jobs & the obligativity to hire for at least one. I know that clients are super important, but freelancers are at the core of this business, so let's truly support the ones who built Upwork up.

Hope it makes sense to many what I've wrote & especially to the key people on this platform.

No, it doesn't make sense. So you want Upwork to lose even more revenue at a time when they're already losing money, and if they give breaks to freelancers that result in less revenue, then they'll have less money to spend on marketing to potential new clients. Then you also want to impose restrictions that will drive clients away. Sorry, I completely disagree with your entire post.

petra_r · ‎03-27-2020

Diana - Catalina C wrote:

In my opinion, best way & fast measure to make a real impact on our income would be Upwork to stop charging Service Fees throughout the entire COVID-19 world crisis for all types of contracts & work.

Why do you want Upwork to go bankrupt? How would that help anyone?

moonraker · ‎03-27-2020

Soooo many people have it back to front.

My next big contract might come because Upwork spent more money on marketing rather than giving free connects. Or somebody else might take that job - meaning they are less likely to be taking other jobs I apply for. It may well be the same for everybody else as well.

If there are going to be any discounts then give them to clients to encourage them to put more money into the system. That would be FAR more valuable for freelancers. I'd be willing to pay MORE for connects to help fund extra marketing if it means that more jobs are available on the platform.

cartrellgeneral · ‎03-27-2020

People are asking Upwork to "give" them this and "cut" that. My question is what are these freelancers doing to help themselves? In other words, are you looking into other avenues to either make yourself more marketable or looking into other platforms/self-marketing opportunities? Seriously, what would you do if there was no Upwork? At the rate, people are asking for cuts from Upwork, it really sounds like they are striving to ensure there is no Upwork.

Please consider this (as many have stated over and over again), Upwork needs revenue to sustain itself. If they offer all of the cuts and gifts of connects that people are suggesting, it will further hurt their bottom line which may cause them to have to suspend certain services currently offered to freelancers. Additionally, Upwork is not our employer. We should not be begging them as if they owe us anything. We run our "own" businesses and if we are struggling we need to look at our own business operations. Why don't we have savings set aside for a crisis? Why don't we have other back-up plans? Maybe this experience will help us all better strategize our personal business operations in the future.

Seriously, before this COVID-19 happened, freelancers were asking for freebies and cuts. Please let us be accountable for our own actions and not depend on Upwork (or anyone else) to run our businesses for us. I, personally, don't want Upwork anymore involved in my business operations than it already is.

Thank you.

varungs · ‎03-27-2020

I don’t normally post here anymore but I feel like I have to. There’s so much stupidity in this thread.

Freelancers who are struggling — people in the informal sector of the economy (in Brazil, India, Pakistan, Estonia) are suffering far more than you are. Why don’t you give all your money to them? They need it more than you do in these hard times.

Hopefully that illustrates my point that we are all struggling and nobody is obligated to give you handouts. If you want handouts, go approach a mask company or a sanitizer company. Not Upwork.

Not to mention the glaringly obvious fact that if Upwork spends money on frivolous things like a minuscule handout, they won’t be able to add funding to programs that matter — namely marketing, dispute resolution, customer support, so on. Giving out any amount of connects would be a great PR move but a **bleep**ty financial move at this stage. Also, look at the stock price...

As a closing thought, if you can’t afford $5 as a business cost, you’re in the wrong line of work. Trust me, I was once like you — I also thought paying for connects was stupid — but when you think about the client-freelancer differential and the prominence of Upwork as a marketing force, it’s necessary — even more so in the current climate. Good luck and I hope everyone stays safe.

bharadhan94 · ‎03-27-2020

In some posts where freelancers are requesting Upwork to cut the service fee for the projects which is not needed. Because Upwork needs to survive.

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.

Compassion and consideration in these difficult times