Freelancer protection

[minervavillaflor]

I hope Upwork will not allow an employer who offers a rate lower that $5 per hour. We have been buying connects to look for a fair client only to find out in the end that you will only be offered $3 or $4 per hour. For freelancers who does have other offers it can be considered as a waste of time and effort. For those who do not have an option but to accept the offer it appears to be a "clinging to a knife's edge" situation.

[lysis10]

This is why you tell your brain to instruct your fingers to type in something higher than $5 when you bid. Voila! Protection and you did it all by yourself!

[prestonhunter]

Minimum is $3 per hour for the platform.

As Jennifer indicates, your own minimum is set by you.

[astepanov83]

I got stuck on a phrase `you tell your brain`. `you` is exactly a brain with meat. A brain tells to itself seems kinda schizophrenic. Or I need to go to sleep 😕

[lysis10]

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Aleksandr S wrote:

I got stuck on a phrase `you tell your brain`. `you` is exactly a brain with meat. A brain tells to itself seems kinda schizophrenic. Or I need to go to sleep 😕

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My friend brang cheap wine over last night and all I remember is her saying "lets do squats and lunges" while we waited for more wine. My brain and legs hurt, so yes I have to tell my brain to do things right now and sometimes it doesn't even listen and does its own thing. Saturdays are poopposting days all day. 

Don't mock my pain, mang!

eta: gawd, I hate alcohol.

[astepanov83]

Exercising between wine has double effectiveness! I sometimes code while drunk. I type no less than twice faster! (sry, could not find out how to quote)

[lysis10]

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Aleksandr S wrote:

Exercising between wine has double effectiveness! I sometimes code while drunk. I type no less than twice faster! (sry, could not find out how to quote)

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I'm telling you, everything sounds like a great idea after drinking but it's 100% never a good idea. Do I learn from my mistakes? Nope. I'll be back next Saturday complaining about the same thing. lol

Minerva V wrote:

sometimes, you do not have control over the per hour rates anymore becasue of desperate need for some. And for some it's a total waste of time to have to go through interviews  and later find out that you'll just be offered a measly $3 or $4 per hour rate. I mean since you have been invited is it not safe to assume that since you have been offered an interview because they have considered your proposed bid? 

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Sure, I know what it's like to need money. At the lower end, people are just looking for cheap. You'll never escape that issue unless you start demanding more. Of course, you need the skill set too. I think before you worry about rates, you should start working on better service. You have a lot of bad feedback, and maybe it's because you aren't performing due to rates. I would first start fixing that issue, and as you improve you can start demanding more.

[minervavillaflor]

I am happy with my current rate. I have worked my way in getting and deserving that rate.

[minervavillaflor]

Regardless of what rate you have in your profile, they will still have the guts to interview you and later offer you $3. As a recruiter, anything beyond what you can offer must not be included on their shortlist. Unless they are willing to at least meet halfway or negotiate. Others would even offer you to work outside Upwork just so they can keep their golden $3 per hour offer.

[minervavillaflor]

Not sure if you guys are aware of such employers....$3 per hour has been rampant in Upwork lately as if they haven't seen your profile or haven't seen your bid via the proposal you sent them. 

[lysis10]

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Minerva V wrote:

Not sure if you guys are aware of such employers....$3 per hour has been rampant in Upwork lately as if they haven't seen your profile or haven't seen your bid via the proposal you sent them. 

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I remember hearing when they raised the minimum to $3/hour, people complained that they raised it too high. It's amazing how hopeless freelancers are when it comes to things they can control. how they manage to breathe without someone making rules to protect them, we'll never know.

[minervavillaflor]

sometimes, you do not have control over the per hour rates anymore becasue of desperate need for some. And for some it's a total waste of time to have to go through interviews  and later find out that you'll just be offered a measly $3 or $4 per hour rate. I mean since you have been invited is it not safe to assume that since you have been offered an interview because they have considered your proposed bid? 

[feed_my_eyes]

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Minerva V wrote:

sometimes, you do not have control over the per hour rates anymore becasue of desperate need for some. And for some it's a total waste of time to have to go through interviews  and later find out that you'll just be offered a measly $3 or $4 per hour rate. I mean since you have been invited is it not safe to assume that since you have been offered an interview because they have considered your proposed bid? 

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Maybe they looked at your job history and saw that you've worked for $3 or $4 in the past, so they thought that you might be willing to do it again.

[versailles]

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Minerva V wrote:

Not sure if you guys are aware of such employers....$3 per hour has been rampant in Upwork lately as if they haven't seen your profile or haven't seen your bid via the proposal you sent them. 

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If the only clients that a freelancer can afford won't or can't pay the rate this freelancer wants, it's a sign that either the freelancer and the market are not aligned, or that the person is lacking something that is needed to command higher rates.

In your case, I'm afraid that the cosistent lukewarm feedback you receive from your clients, lukewarm or even worse, is what makes it that you're stuck with the low tier ones.

[tlsanders]

Yet, Minerva, there are a great many freelancers on Upwork who live in countries where $3/hour is a living wage and they are happy to have a way to make that money from home. Would you deprive them of their livelihood just because it is inconvenient for you to sometimes be offered low rates of pay?

[prestonhunter]

I live in the United States.

There are jobs that I would personally do for $3.00/hour.

There is nothing wrong with me being willing to do that, and there is nothing wrong with a client being willing to pay that rate.

[tlsanders]

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Preston H wrote:

I live in the United States.

There are jobs that I would personally do for $3.00/hour.

There is nothing wrong with me being willing to do that, and there is nothing wrong with a client being willing to pay that rate.

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Are there really? 

There are jobs I would do for free, but I don't think there are any I would do for $3/hour.

[minervavillaflor]

This isn't about me. This is about other great talents who are being stripped off a chance to earn more because they are trapped with those offers either because of the fear of not getting an offer again or they are in dire need of a job.

[lysis10]

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Minerva V wrote:
This isn't about me. This is about other great talents who are being stripped off a chance to earn more because they are trapped with those offers either because of the fear of not getting an offer again or they are in dire need of a job.

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oooh so all of that "but they offer me $3/hour" wasn't about you and you just made it up. I see.

[minervavillaflor]

It was a scenario I was trying to point out. Not necessarily mine when I said "i was offered".
Anyways, thanks for your thoughts.

[lysis10]

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Minerva V wrote:
It was a scenario I was trying to point out. Not necessarily mine when I said "i was offered".
Anyways, thanks for your thoughts.

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yeah, sure sweaty you just posted this because you wanted to be provocative and prove a point and things and such I see. Just randomly thought of this and decided to be the hero nobody ever thought they needed.

[versailles]

I'm asking for a friend.

[teamxcode]

Upwork does not protect its freelancers. Beware!!

[tlsanders]

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Justin M wrote:

Upwork does not protect its freelancers. Beware!!

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By "beware," do you mean "take responsibility for your own career and business relationships like you would in any other setting"?

[a_lipsey]

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Justin M wrote:

Upwork does not protect its freelancers. Beware!!

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That's because we do not belong to Upwork. We are business owners who use this platform to connect to clients and create contracts, use escrow. I know we all want to have insurance and guarantees but you are your best insurance and guarantee by properly vetting clients and sticking to your standards. 

[petra_r]

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Justin M wrote:

Upwork does not protect its freelancers. Beware!!

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You're just irritated because you got that poor feedback, enabled the client to change the feedback, and the client went ahead and did change it (made it worse.)