End Hourly Contract Before Client is Done with you

[3e3cf74c]

I am currently on an hourly contract, but I want to end the contract because I am going to be busy for some weeks, and I do not want to affect my client. But my client seems not to understand me even though I have explained on the need on me to end the contract, that I am currently at my limits trying to merge the job and my present situations. 

Points to note:

1. The clients payment method is verified

2. I have received payments before from the clients, since September 1 of the contract week

3. Date of question asked: Wednesday

4. I have a 17hr30minutes already logged in. Its currently in review stage (last week)

5. This week, I have 15hr10minutes logged in.

So here's my question:

1. If I end the contract, would my previous week that is in review stage be billed to my client immediately?

2. If I end the contract, would this weeks work be billed to my client immediately?

Considering the fact my client is not understanding, if I end the contract and he removes card or whatever billing method setup, would I still get paid for my previous week and current week. 

Please, I would need a response because I am planning on ending my contract soon.

Thanks

[wlyonsatl · Accepted solution]

You can end a contract for any reason at any time. It isn't solely up to the client to decide when you will stop working for him/her.

Each Monday clients receive accounting from Upwork for the work hours you have tracked using TimeTracker and any manual hours you have added (which I recommend you avoid).

And a client cannot just "remove" their authorized payment method in order to avoid paying you for properly-tracked work time using TimeTracker. Cancelling the card or telling their bank to issue a chargeback are both violations of Upwork's Terms of Service and payment for your properly-tracked work time will be covered by Upwork's excellent hourly payment protection.

If I were you, I'd consider slow-walking this project. Keep working as few hours as possible to keep the client happy and when you've been paid out for a substantial number of hours already booked cancel the project yourself. Let the client know whether you can devote more time to the project at some later date. Even if you don't want to work with him again, be positive in any message you send him or feedback you leave when closing the contract (if you were otherwise happy with working with him).

[3e3cf74c]

+1 upvote for leaving a positive message

Thanks for reply.

So from what you said, if I end the contract now, I would still get paid for this week and last weeks logged hours right? 

Can you give me an advise about something.

I am very young and inexperienced so I would want an advise in a particular aspect.

So now my initial plan was to end the contract yesterday morning when my weekly hour was still around 4 hours, but because I wasn't able to finish the previous days task, I decided to do it together with the days task. But the task was much that I actually finished it today. But before I was done, he sent todays tasks. I felt I could do one of the tasks because of I had already had a foresight and laid the foundation to it prior.

So now how do this sum up. I believe I am still in my learning phase, and considering my age, I'm still young to receive this pressure, but then, having an additional source of income would be good for me.

I am already facing alot of stress outside this job in the real world, and since this job started, I haven't had the time for self development and growth.

I made out time today to round up everything expecting to leave and I've explained it to my client tho he still doesn't understand that I am calling quits.

I asked two of my friends on their view on whether I should end the contract:

1. (An Upwork Freelancer): He said since its my first job on Upwork, I should suggest my client to either upgrade my pay (because the pay is actually small hourly). But that I should try and keep the job, considering my Upworks reputation.

2. (A normal human): She said that I should keep the job. That as far as it pays me well, I should keep it. (Yes, if I do the weekly calculation, for a college student in my country, its enough to take care of your feeding in school, and little luxury).

All of them are good points, but all are dwelling on the aspect of money. I honestly know job is hard to find, but then I believe its also wisdom to know when to call quits, when one questions his capabilities to carry on the job.

Its not like I dont have an additional source of income. Although the pay is little, but I have been managing it to solve my basic needs at a minimal level that I am comfortable with at this stage (though its not like I wouldn't want to go higher. but you get).

Its just that, some courses I have been taking have been paused for almost 2 months. Although I wouldn't rule out that yes I got experience from this job. But the pressure and job != what I can do due to what lies ahead of me for the next couple of weeks.

So you have seen the picture.

Am I wrong for wanting to End the Contract?

My Client doesn't understand, should I just go ahead and end the contract and still get paid?

Thank you very much 

[martina_plaschka]

Imagine a seasoned professional who has many years of experience in the skills he offers.

What would that person do?

• accept only work he knows he can do, and how much time it will take him. He tells the client at the beginning of the job when he will be finished. He keeps his promise. The client is happy.
• accept work he does not know if he can do it, or how long it will take him, at a low rate with which he is unhappy, so he asks the client to increase his rate mid-project. Because he didn't plan well, he wants to end the contract before it is finished. The client is very unhappy because the freelancer did not keep his promise, and he feels he was the victim of bait-and-switch. He leaves bad feedback and the freelancer can't find more clients because nobody wants to hire him with the bad feedback on his profile. 

If you are unwilling to take freelancing seriously, there are serious consequences, worst case your upwork career has ended before it began. Your first contract is your most important one. You must do it perfectly. 

Short answer: yes it's wrong to end the contract before the work is finished. 

[3e3cf74c]

Thank you for your reply

Okay, so maybe you are getting a wrong impression about my scenario.

So first of all, I took the job not to drop it half way. No I didn't.

I'm all new to the Upworks sphere that I didn't even know that timetracker was needed and I worked a full week without being tracked.

Asides that, maybe because I mentioned about the pay, that suggested that I am unhappy. I didn't want to go into full details here, but my client was not understanding when I complained that the work is actually hectic, and he always tag each tasks I am given as easy, while I know its not. I am a software engineer, and the tasks where to make changes to a particular software. So things like database, different server, wrong code implementation from former developers, I had to actually fix the ones that would prevent me from solving a particular task. So when he tags it as easy plus the deadline, and even when I politely talk about it, it makes him feel maybe that I am stalling. So in cases like that, one may now be forced to think about how much he is paid for the stress. I am not here to complain tho

Then about me not being quite serious with freelancing. You may be correct(because I actually do not like freelancing, but at times you have to grab the bull by the horn), but may not be correct.

As I said before, I took this job with anticipation that I've gotten a long term job. But then in my question, I said urgent things popped up that would last for some weeks, and the priority has switched now. I wouldn't want because of greediness to grab in other to maintain a reputation at the expense of me dampening my health mentally or otherwise or in the long run, I may not be able to still keep up with the clients need considering the fact that urgent things popped up.

Does this make sense a bit?

[virtualbrix]

You need to discuss these things with the client. I do agree that when you take on a contract, you have to finish it, even though, at times, it sucks! I do agree with many points that Martina said and I do understand that you feel that the client is basically assigning tasks which he classifies as each which are not so. You need to have a talk with the client, either the client understands your situation or you basically agree with the client that this will not work. You may risk a bad review, and as stated, your first review is the most impoirtant, in a way, in most cases, it may basically dictate the course of your career. Honestly, if you hate the work that much, talk to the client, tell him you will refund what you made and move on. Simple. That is my opinion, If you ever need to freelance again, atleast you have an account...

[3e3cf74c]

Yes,

I get what you mean. It took me time to actually arrive at this conclusion, because I seriously wanted to keep the job amidst the difficulties. But I've measured it, and I know there at times you have to suck it up even at tough times. I've freelanced, but not at Upwork, so I know that. But this is one of those situations that I am finding it tough.

And I feel the longer I stay here, the longer my resolve my waver because I am now getting scared of getting a bad feedback on first try.

But as you said, I can still freelance again. It wasn't intentional for me (the situations that popped up, is quite hectic, I wouldnt want to explain it here). So I would leave another note to the client. I finished the tasks required for the day then I would end the contract

[tlsanders]

You can end the contract, and you'll still get paid unless the client successfully disputes (so it matters whether you've been tracking time with the tracker or manually)

But, your issue doesn't make a lot of sense. You don't have to close a contract to be unavailable for a block of time. You say you want to end the contract because you won't be available and don't want to affect the client, but how would the client be adversely affected by you not billing any hours on an open contract? 

[c18f1786]

Hi Daniel,

I appreciate this is a tricky situation for you, but my thinking would be as follows...

First, you will get paid for hours already logged (using the time tracker), even if you close the contract now. Closing the contract means you can't add any more hours, but it keeps the time already tracked and the client will be billed for it at the end of the current weekly cycle.

Second, you could consider "slow-walking" the project as Will suggested. For example, you could specify a maximum amount of hours per week, depending on what workload you think you can manage. If the client agrees, great. If they're looking for more time commitment than you can offer, then you can mutually agree to end the contract having had the appropriate discussion, and they can go and hire someone else.

However, if you really don't have any time to work on this contract any more, I would recommend you to state that clearly but politely to the client, and say that you will end the contract after any ongoing work is finished. In my opinion, you should complete any work already assigned. Don't accept any new assignments from them, and close the contract once you've completed any ongoing work.

Hope this works out well for you.

[3e3cf74c]

Thank you very much for your reply

I have been seriously considering "slow-walking". My mind has been on keeping the job. If it wasn't, I would have been off from here as soon as I got my response considering whether I would be paid or not if I cancelled.

I take each job I do seriously as though it was a personal work, that's why I am having emotional sympathy on just leaving the job.

But I wouldn't want to lie to myself to please others. I didn't expect an unexpected load to dump on me some days ago. I tried merging both, but I am feeling its toil healthwise, mentally, etc, and it may not get better until some few weeks.

And because the priority of the other is higher, I am just here because of probably the emotional sympathy of suddenly leaving the job, and whether it was the right decision to make.

Do you get?

[c18f1786]

Yes, I understand. Balancing workload when freelancing is a difficult challenge, especially when starting out, but it gets better with experience. The same thing applies for dealing with demanding clients.

For me, I found it very difficult to say no to requests at first (and still do sometimes), even if a high workload was demanded or jobs were requested at short notice. It's easy to stay in the mindset of a regular job and feel like it's your boss telling you to do something, in which case you probably feel obliged to do it. But a freelancer working relationship is not the same, and it takes some time to realise this and adjust your thinking. Also, the client has to understand this different dynamic. Does that make sense?

[3e3cf74c]

Exactly, 

Probably I didn't create a clear communication with my client based on the workload and so.

I still complete the tasks given tho, and get a good feedback from the client.

But now I think I've weighed the options and in as much it may dampen my Upwork feedback. It wasn't my fault that things turned out this way. I tried adjusting but I realized that truth be told, it wouldn't be possible.

So now I am going to leave a note to my client again, because he still doesn't understand. But the longer I delay, the more difficult it would become. So after the note, I would end the contract