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MichaelJ
Community Manager
Community Manager

Help make the Upwork platform more inclusive

Hi Community!

At Upwork, we are constantly working to create a culture of inclusion and belonging. As part of this endeavor, we are working to root out any biased language on our site. Your feedback and insight can help ensure everyone feels welcome on Upwork. We’ve put together a few questions to guide your thinking, but all feedback is welcome.

  • Are there any specific terms you have encountered on Upwork that are outdated or make you feel uncomfortable?
  • How do you define inclusion? Do you feel the Upwork site is inclusive?
  • As a freelancer, do you feel Upwork treats freelancers and clients equally? If not, what could we do to help foster a relationship that is mutually empowering?

We look forward to hearing from you on this important initiative.


Cheers,
Mike
37 REPLIES 37
petra_r
Community Member


Mike J wrote:
  • Are there any specific terms you have encountered on Upwork that are outdated or make you feel uncomfortable?

Yes. "US only" jobs, "US only website", "US only groups", "US only diversity badge", "US only autoaccepted profiles", "US only" job posting setting as default, "US only perks".... shall I go on?

 


Mike J wrote:
  • How do you define inclusion? Do you feel the Upwork site is inclusive?

I define it as equal treatment and equal opportunities for all, regardless of colour, religion, ethnicity, location, orientation, age etc etc etc etc.

No. I do not believe Upwork is inclusive any longer. Quite the opposite. It used to be. Now it isn't anymore. It has become less inclusive in the last 5 or so years, quite dramatically so. Openly so, despite being called out on it over and over. 

 


Mike J wrote:

We look forward to hearing from you on this important initiative.


"Hearing from us" on the matter of systemic, corporate, openly not just admitted, but actually actively touted (remember the TV interview (see 2 minute on)  when the then CEO was proudly announcing how the US only website kept foreign competition away?) discrimination against non-US freelancers has done absolutely no good at all.

 

Or maybe you just want to be inclusive of US-based minorities? Because they matter and the rest of use don't?

 

 

 

 

MichaelJ
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Petra,

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We want to be inclusive for all, regardless of location.


Cheers,
Mike
petra_r
Community Member


We want to be inclusive for all, regardless of location.
 

Mike, sorry. Actions speak louder than words. 

If you wanted to be, you would be. 

You're not. You also KNOW you're not. 

So you don't want to be, You just want to be seen to be.

 

You can't have it both ways: You can't be proudly exclusive to please one side and proudly inclusive to please another. Pick one and be honest about it.

geri_kol
Community Member

For once I have to agree with Petra. 🙂 Yes, us non-U.S. freelancers are not luddites nor lepers and the "U.S.-only" type language is seriously offputting, to say the least. If native English proficiency is the reason for these exclusions, there are millions of Americans who live overseas and millions of foreigners who live in the U.S. and speak butchered English. Besides, if there´s anything this pandemic has shown us, it´s that people can live and work from anywhere in the world.

 

So step up your game and show non-U.S. FLs some respect, Upwork. 

Thank you very much for all of your feedback. The talent on Upwork is the engine that drives Upwork forward and we sincerely appreciate your candidness and transparency. We are working hard to create a more inclusive marketplace. We know that we have work to do and we are listening and taking your thoughts onboard. 

 

As part of our inclusion efforts, we have a number of initiatives that we are working on that speak to the concerns you mentioned. Please know that while we started with the US for many projects, this is just our first step. We are a global platform and it is our goal to have global solutions. The list below is just a sample of the work we are doing to make the Upwork marketplace as welcoming and inclusive as possible for everyone in all geographies and from all backgrounds. 

 

“US only” jobs

We hear your concern with the US only job listings. With many of our clients based in the US, we have often received commentary about client preference to work with talent based in their same country. When clients have location preferences, we want to ensure they’re matched with talent that meets those requirements. The feedback about time zones is valid and something we will take into consideration. A cross-functional team at Upwork has started discussing any potential bias this feature may introduce and what the implications of removing this feature are. 

 

Website

While Upwork is not a “US only website,” we are an English language based marketplace. Given the limitations around functioning in only one language, our product teams are looking into expanding the languages supported within Upwork.

 

“US only” groups

Thank you for flagging this. We actually removed the groups feature and functionality in September 2019. The only group I am aware of showing on profiles currently is the US military veteran group but please let me know if you are aware of others so that we can take the proper steps to close the groups wherever appropriate. 

 

“US only” diversity badge

The recent creation of the diversity badge system is based on our partnerships with business diversity certification organizations. At the current time, we only have a membership with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC.org). We deeply value our global community and as a next step are actively pursuing additional partnerships that would enhance our geographic reach - stay tuned for more details in 2021.

 

“US only” job posting as default

While “US only” may have been a default option in the past for job postings, this is no longer a default option on Upwork. Clients are now allowed to self select any country or region they would like to focus on for their listings if they choose to do so. 

 

We truly value your feedback and hope that you continue to provide us with your suggestions and ideas to make Upwork a more inclusive work marketplace for everyone. We will keep you and the rest of the Community updated as we make progress on the initiatives above and look forward to hearing your thoughts. The talent on Upwork is what makes this community thrive.

 

Thanks,

Bianca Bartel | Product Manager, Social Impact

Because you truly value feedback, would you be kind enough to pass my feedback that we need a downvote button for posts like yours? Such posts talk about some things that never happen.

kenshahk
Community Member

Petra, thanks for saying the things some of us find hard to say for fear of whatever kind of retribution. I know, it's an old post. Just that the problems seem to have never been addressed.


Petra R wrote:

Mike J wrote:
  • Are there any specific terms you have encountered on Upwork that are outdated or make you feel uncomfortable?

Yes. "US only" jobs, "US only website", "US only groups", "US only diversity badge", "US only autoaccepted profiles", "US only" job posting setting as default, "US only perks".... shall I go on?

 


Mike J wrote:
  • How do you define inclusion? Do you feel the Upwork site is inclusive?

I define it as equal treatment and equal opportunities for all, regardless of colour, religion, ethnicity, location, orientation, age etc etc etc etc.

No. I do not believe Upwork is inclusive any longer. Quite the opposite. It used to be. Now it isn't anymore. It has become less inclusive in the last 5 or so years, quite dramatically so. Openly so, despite being called out on it over and over. 

 


Mike J wrote:

We look forward to hearing from you on this important initiative.


"Hearing from us" on the matter of systemic, corporate, openly not just admitted, but actually actively touted (remember the TV interview (see 2 minute on)  when the then CEO was proudly announcing how the US only website kept foreign competition away?) discrimination against non-US freelancers has done absolutely no good at all.

 

Or maybe you just want to be inclusive of US-based minorities? Because they matter and the rest of use don't?

 

 

 

 


US only jobs is actually a great feature...it makes the time zones not so crazy, the economy is different in every location, the meaning of words is different is different locations; it stops people from bidding too low, because their country is cheaper than the us, and many other reasons


Marcus C wrote:


US only jobs is actually a great feature...it makes the time zones not so crazy, the economy is different in every location, the meaning of words is different is different locations; it stops people from bidding too low, because their country is cheaper than the us, and many other reasons


I'm sure that it's a great feature if you live in the U.S. But is it inclusive (which is the subject of this thread)? Of course not. Many other countries also have native English speakers and a similar (if not higher) cost of living to America, and in Canada's case, also share the same time zones, so your reasoning isn't sound. And that's without even mentioning Upwork's other recent initiatves which only benefit Americans (such as the diversity badges and the freelancers' COVID fund).

 

So you can add my vote to Petra's. Is Upwork inclusive? Only if you live in America.


Christine A wrote:

So you can add my vote to Petra's. Is Upwork inclusive? Only if you live in America.


Exactly. Maybe it should have been posted with a "Please only respond if you are in the USA, because we are having this concersation to draw attention to how inclusive we are, not how exclusive we have become.

 

Marcus C wrote:


US only jobs is actually a great feature..


Thank you for proving my point. Really, THANKS! It is always very telling when those who directly and unfairly benefit from discriminatory practices applaud them publicly and explain how they directly benefit at the expense of others. 


Petra R wrote:

Christine A wrote:

So you can add my vote to Petra's. Is Upwork inclusive? Only if you live in America.


Exactly. Maybe it should have been posted with a "Please only respond if you are in the USA, because we are having this concersation to draw attention to how inclusive we are, not how exclusive we have become.

 

Marcus C wrote:


US only jobs is actually a great feature..


Thank you for proving my point. Really, THANKS! It is always very telling when those who directly and unfairly benefit from discriminatory practices applaud them publicly and explain how they directly benefit at the expense of others. 


what does it matter? if the client wanted people outside the US, then i'm sure there are options for them specify it...it's there business, it's there money, they can hire who they want


Marcus C wrote:

what does it matter? 

You're the one who said how great it is?

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Hi All,

 

We appreciate the discussion and feedback shared on this thread. To keep this conversation professional, productive and on topic, please refrain from starting interpersonal disputes, posting off-topic comments, making personal attacks based on a user's English or experience of Upwork platform or any other disparaging comments.

 

A few comments have been removed as they were in violation of the Community Guidelines. 

~ Valeria
Upwork

Petra,

 

For the nine months ended 30 Sept. only 27% of freelancers who generated revenue for Upwork were from the US.

 

That leaves 73% who were not from the US, so the "US Only" search criteria is not very successful if, as you apparently feel, it removes a substantial proportion of non-US freelancers from consideration for jobs they think they could complete successfully.

 

And this is from a client base that was 73% US-based.

 

So Upwork's current policies and procesures are not excluding non-US freelancers from working for a wide swath of Upwork's predominantly US-based client base. Quite the contrary - US-based freelancers are being hired far less frequently than are non-US-based freelancers.

 

Your complaint is that an element of Upwork's policies and procedures excludes you personally from successfully submitting bids on projects you feel you could complete successfully. But the original posters's question was not how could Upwork changes its policies or features in a way that would allow each and every freelancer the maximum likelihood of being hired by US-based clients. No such system could be built that serves each freelancer's specific requirements equally well and also allows clients to be as specific as possible in their requirements. 

 

Excluding criteria such as race, creed, gender or sexual orientation, clients should be able to put any criteria they wish on their search for just the right freelancer. UK clients should be able to say they want only UK-based freelancers. Indian clients should be able to search only for India-based freelancers. I am surprised Upwork hasn't expanded this geographic exclusivity to all countries, because I'd like to save my time bidding on projects where I have no chance of getting hired because the client has unstated preferences.

 

To answer the original poster's question, I see no element of Upwork's policies or procedures that implies or promotes any discrimination based on race, creed, gender or sexual orientation in Upwork's policies and procedures.

 

If clients have specific requirements in terms of cultural similarities or expected language proficiency or similar time zones, then Upwork should allow them to use geographic location as a proxy. That is not discriminatory in the sense the original poster was asking about, but if you have a better solution I expect Upwork would be happy to have your input.


Will L wrote:

 

Your complaint is that an element of Upwork's policies and procedures excludes you personally from successfully submitting bids on projects you feel you could complete successfully.


That wasn't my complaint at all. I was also not complaining at all, let alone on my behalf. 

 

I answered two questions, which were:

  • Are there any specific terms you have encountered on Upwork that are outdated or make you feel uncomfortable?
  • How do you define inclusion? Do you feel the Upwork site is inclusive?

 

 

 

florydev
Community Member


Petra R wrote:

Mike J wrote:
  • Are there any specific terms you have encountered on Upwork that are outdated or make you feel uncomfortable?

Yes. "US only" jobs, "US only website", "US only groups", "US only diversity badge", "US only autoaccepted profiles", "US only" job posting setting as default, "US only perks".... shall I go on?

 


We have groups, why was I not informed?  The diversity badge thing is only for the US, that is wonderfully ironic.  I didn't bother reading about the badges because it has nothing to do with me.

 

This is interesting because I am horribly conflicted.  Without the US only feature I probably wouldn't be here.  I don't know that I could have shaken my previous experience with odesk enough to even give it a chance.  I would have thought that people in some places in the world would be willing to do what I do for a tiny percentage of what I could even survive on, and it might be great money for them.

 

And I wouldn't have been entirely wrong, but I think now mostly I was.

 

If you took it away now it would definitely give me pause.  Even Petra bringing it up engages the lizard brain and he wants to run and hide.

 

It's funny because I am on record in many places saying that this idea of competition is so overblown.  It sounds egotistical to say it but if you are reading this and participating in this thread, most of the FL's out there are nowhere near our league.  Well not everyone participating in this thread...but at least the one's who have earned.

 

So I can say for sure the idea of it going away scares me irrationally.  But I can seperate that logically and say...

 

Totally not inclusive.  You can't cater to people who want to be exclusive and think of yourself as inclusive.  Seperate but equal has a long history of failure.

 

If you want to be inclusive, have to ditch the US only thing for sure...now I will go cower in the corner.

petra_r
Community Member


Mark F wrote:

So I can say for sure the idea of it going away scares me irrationally.  

It won't go away. Don't worry. And it is exclusive. Which is the opposite of inclusive. And that is something for Upwork to try and spin reconcile. 

 

Maybe it's time for Upwork to admit that "inclusivity" is a noble aim, yet as it is set firmly below "protect and support the US segment to the detriment of all others" it becomes lip service. It becomes essentially a travesty. A marketing gimmick. Something the Zeitgeist wants to see. A feel good factor. Yet deeply cynical, at the same time.

 

You just simply can't be fundamentally and systemically exclusive and claim to want to be inclusive at the same time. It's hypocrisy. 

 

 

florydev
Community Member


Petra R wrote:

Mark F wrote:

So I can say for sure the idea of it going away scares me irrationally.  

It won't go away. Don't worry. And it is exclusive. Which is the opposite of inclusive. And that is something for Upwork to try and spin reconcile. 

 

Maybe it's time for Upwork to admit that "inclusivity" is a noble aim, yet as it is set firmly below "protect and support the US segment to the detriment of all others" it becomes lip service. It becomes essentially a travesty. A marketing gimmick. Something the Zeitgeist wants to see. A feel good factor. 

 

You just can't be fundamentally and systemically exclusive and claim to want to be inclusive at the same time. It's hypocrisy. 

 


But you have made me realize it probably should, but I am also not sure that the goal of being inclusive in this case is good business.  Ultimately do the US clients want this (regardless of why)?  If they do then it would might be a mistake for Upwork to change it.

 

I don't know, they may really want to be inclusive but not want to make this change and can't see it, or it maybe just they want to be seen as inclusive.  As I said I didn't read or participate in the badge thread because I didn't feel invited.

 

petra_r
Community Member


Mark F wrote:

Petra R wrote:

You just can't be fundamentally and systemically exclusive and claim to want to be inclusive at the same time. It's hypocrisy. 


But you have made me realize it probably should, but I am also not sure that the goal of being inclusive in this case is good business.


That is a different conversation. 

 

"Inclusive" is such a fashionably cuddly term and being seen to care about being inclusive in the current climate reflects well on a corporation. So there is that.

 

However: Actually putting money where mouth is and BEING inclusive is another matter altogether. 

a_lipsey
Community Member


Mike J wrote:

Hi Community!

At Upwork, we are constantly working to create a culture of inclusion and belonging. As part of this endeavor, we are working to root out any biased language on our site. Your feedback and insight can help ensure everyone feels welcome on Upwork. We’ve put together a few questions to guide your thinking, but all feedback is welcome.

  • Are there any specific terms you have encountered on Upwork that are outdated or make you feel uncomfortable?
  • How do you define inclusion? Do you feel the Upwork site is inclusive?
  • As a freelancer, do you feel Upwork treats freelancers and clients equally? If not, what could we do to help foster a relationship that is mutually empowering?

We look forward to hearing from you on this important initiative.


Allow people to use their nicknames as their profile name. There is research evidence that having  non-Western name elicits bias. Many people choose to go by nicknames. I think that the bias should be called out, but the way for Upwork to help here is to allow people to use their nicknames. 

Hi Amanda,

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! There was a change last year that allowed freelancers to use nicknames or variations of their name on their profiles. Check out this help article for more information on that. 

~ Valeria
Upwork


Valeria K wrote:

Hi Amanda,

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! There was a change last year that allowed freelancers to use nicknames or variations of their name on their profiles. Check out this help article for more information on that. 


Valeria, that link takes you to instructions for your name but when one follows the link to guidelines for nicknames there is nothing on it. Perhaps you should provide a direct link to whatever you were referencing on nicknames. The only thing I see is that the name on the account must match the name on the payment account, which means a nickname could not be used. 

AveryO
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Amanda, 

 

I wanted to know if you were able to check the Frequently Asked Questions tab on the help article Valeria shared, specifically this FAQ: Does this mean I can’t use a nickname as my profile name?

As noted in the FAQ, your verified name is only shared on invoices and the Contract Room you have with a client. Your profile name can be a nickname or variation, as long as it follows our name change guidelines.

 


Amanda L wrote:

Valeria, that link takes you to instructions for your name but when one follows the link to guidelines for nicknames there is nothing on it. Perhaps you should provide a direct link to whatever you were referencing on nicknames. The only thing I see is that the name on the account must match the name on the payment account, which means a nickname could not be used. 

 


~ Avery
Upwork
a_lipsey
Community Member


Avery O wrote:

Hi Amanda, 

 

I wanted to know if you were able to check the Frequently Asked Questions tab on the help article Valeria shared, specifically this FAQ: Does this mean I can’t use a nickname as my profile name?

As noted in the FAQ, your verified name is only shared on invoices and the Contract Room you have with a client. Your profile name can be a nickname or variation, as long as it follows our name change guidelines.

 


Amanda L wrote:

Valeria, that link takes you to instructions for your name but when one follows the link to guidelines for nicknames there is nothing on it. Perhaps you should provide a direct link to whatever you were referencing on nicknames. The only thing I see is that the name on the account must match the name on the payment account, which means a nickname could not be used. 

 


The link you provided still does not stipulate what the nickname guidelines are. 

bromps
Community Member

Synposis

I read all the responses and am not surprised by them. **edited for Community Guidelines**

 

As being a freelancer who works 40 hours per week with a fullt-time corporate job (I'm just now switching to Upwork), and 50 other hours working on my business and freelancing, I don't think inclusion is a worthy topic of discussion. If you're aiming to make the platform more inclusive, then you should do so from an economical approach instead of a geopolitical one. You can't force clients to hire freelancers from certain geographies or that meet certain demographical criteria. That hurts business for everyone and undermines the integrity of the platform. No freelancer would want to join Upwork if that were to be the case, except for the few that approach their work from an economical standpoint and see that there is a lot to gain. However, clients will ultimately be driven away as well.

 

In order to make Upwork more "inclusive", you need to have a large pool of freelancers for clients to choose from and vice versa. That's the only way to ensure the platform's stability. Any form of inclusion outside of economical inclusion will make the platform less inclusive. That's a pattern that we have seen repeat again and again over the past 10 years.

 

Recommendations

U.S.-only based contracts are a great feature IMO. It's also opt-in instead of opt-out, as it should be.  I always looked at the geography-based contracts from an economic point-of-view, which is the only way it makes sense. When clients are looking for freelancers in particular geographies, they are doing so for a reason. They want freelancers to be in similar time zones, have a grasp of how the regional economy works, and want to get the most bang for their buck. Perhaps you could expand on this idea and make more zones like this across the globe.

 

The majority of international freelancers are clamoring to make the wages of Americans. There is only one reason for this. The cost of living in the U.S. is extraordinarly higher than most places in the world. Making an American wage in, Zimbabwe or Mexico, would be amazing. The dollar would stretch so much farther than it would in the states. All immigrants know this, which is why historically, so many people have been striving to get into the U.S. Historically speaking for Upwork, clients initially sought for cheap labor outside of the U.S., but more times than not they found that the quality of work wasn't sufficient. They quickly learned that the less the pay, the less they get, which is why a lot more clients have been using the U.S.-only contracts recently.

 

a_lipsey
Community Member


Brian T wrote:

Synposis

I read all the responses and am not surprised by them.**edited for Community Guidelines**

 


You have no clue the people you are referring to and accusing of not taking responsibility for their own actions. It seems to me you're brand new to this platform, so maybe you should learn how it works and get some experience with it before you lay down judgment on some of the most successful freelancers on the platform who are actually making suggestions to benefit others (not even necessarily themselves). 


wrote:

 

 

U.S.-only based contracts are a great feature IMO. It's also opt-in instead of opt-out, as it should be. 


No, it's not - If you're in America, the "US-only" marketplace is set as the default. I agree that there are sometimes valid reasons for wanting to hire freelancers from within your own country, but let's face it, the reason is more frequently racism and xenophobia. I can't even begin to address the rest of the nonsense in your post about the cost of living and superior service provided by Americans, and about all the immigrants who are clamouring to get into your country "for economic reasons" (and not because of horrific conditions in their own countries). But thank you for weighing in and proving my original point: No, Upwork isn't inclusive, and you prefer it that way.

 


@bromps wrote:

 

As being a freelancer who works 40 hours per week with a fullt-time corporate job (I'm just now switching to Upwork), and 50 other hours working on my business and freelancing, I don't think inclusion is a worthy topic of discussion.


So why would you come into this thread to discuss it, then? And what does your 90-hour work week have to do with anything? 

Christine,

 

You have provided no basis for your claim "...there are sometimes valid reasons for wanting to hire freelancers from within your own country, but let's face it, the reason is more frequently racism and xenophobia."

 

In fact, reality tells us that racism and xenophobia, which exist across the globe and not just in the US, are not a rampant problem on Upwork.

 

If the 73% of Upwork's clients who are US-based are hiring 73% of their freelancers from outside the US, you must be using different facts to support your claim there is a great deal of "racism and xenophobia" at work in the hiring patterns on Upwork.

 

What are those facts?


wrote:

Christine,

 

You have provided no basis for your claim "...there are sometimes valid reasons for wanting to hire freelancers from within your own country, but let's face it, the reason is more frequently racism and xenophobia."

 

If the 73% of Upwork's clients who are US-based are hiring 73% of their freelancers from outside the US, you must be using different facts to support your claim there is a great deal of "racism and xenophobia" at work in the hiring patterns on Upwork.

 

What are those facts?


Your 73% statistic isn't as impressive as you think it is - so American freelancers account for 27% of hires, whereas the U.S. has only 4% of the world's population.

 

Obviously I can't produce any statistics to prove what percentage of people on Upwork are racist and/or xenophobic, because nobody would be willing to provide such information. But surely you've spent enough time in the forum to have seen frequent comments like "all freelancers from [insert country] are scammers" and "all freelancers from [insert country] are incompetent" as well as comments (in this very thread) that foreigners are unfair competition for Americans. Of course some clients will have entirely valid reasons for needing to work with someone in their own country, especially in the legal or accounting fields. But the reasons most frequently cited - time zones and native English ability - could be specified without having to restrict most jobs to U.S.-only. The fact that a U.S.-only market was [presumably] requested by clients in the first place, speaks volumes.

 

Also, you're restricting your arguments to hiring only, and leaving out Upwork's other recent initiatives that only benefit US.-based clients and freelancers, as if the rest of us (the 73%!) don't matter. So when we're asked, "Is Upwork inclusive" the answer is still "no". But I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear that (so far) 100% of white American males think there's no problem.

 


In fact, reality tells us that racism and xenophobia, which exist across the globe and not just in the US, are not a rampant problem on Upwork.


Where are your facts? 

 

geri_kol
Community Member


Brian T wrote:

 

The majority of international freelancers are clamoring to make the wages of Americans. There is only one reason for this. The cost of living in the U.S. is extraordinarly higher than most places in the world. Making an American wage in, Zimbabwe or Mexico, would be amazing. The dollar would stretch so much farther than it would in the states. 

 


Young man, has it crossed your mind that not all international freelancers live in Africa or Latin America? There are many of us in Europe and Asia with equally or higher standards of living as the U.S. (some of us even educated in the U.S. who have come back) and the reason we want to have equal access to U.S.-based clients is because we can compete equally well or better on work quality and not because we want to undermine U.S. labor costs.

It's always so helpful when a white male with zero experience on the platform pronounces that inclusion is not a worthwhile topic of discussion. Moderators, you may as well close the thread, we have all been duly informed.

bevcam
Community Member


The majority of international freelancers are clamoring to make the wages of Americans. There is only one reason for this. The cost of living in the U.S. is extraordinarly higher than most places in the world. Making an American wage in, Zimbabwe or Mexico, would be amazing. The dollar would stretch so much farther than it would in the states. All immigrants know this, which is why historically, so many people have been striving to get into the U.S. Historically speaking for Upwork, clients initially sought for cheap labor outside of the U.S., but more times than not they found that the quality of work wasn't sufficient. They quickly learned that the less the pay, the less they get, which is why a lot more clients have been using the U.S.-only contracts recently.

 


How blindly biased you are @Brian T! Not every African or South American (or from any other part of the world) freelancer is clamouring for US wages (or hankering to live in the US for that matter). They're earning a living on a global platform which technology now allows us to do.

 

Many desperate immigrants can't work on UW because they lack education, often because of war or natural disasters. While non-desperate immigrants go to the US (and are welcomed because they pay to get in) for personal reasons. I'll point out Elon Musk to you. A South African like me. I doubt he's regarded as desperate. I also know many highly educated and skilled SA's who have lived in the US and come home again (or stayed) for their own reasons.

 

Like you, I freelance on UW and earn a decent (comparable) income consulting for local clients too.  

 

If you employ anyone (including US citizens) at a lower wage than the market rate dictates for the skills required, you'll get a lower standard of work. That's because aptly skilled people know their worth and won't apply.  I would assume that the clients who "initially sought for cheap labor outside of the U.S." were quite happy to exploit people, but got what they paid for.

 

There are plenty of international freelancers with valuable and highly sought after skills that deliver excellent work. Many businesses are well aware of that. Being able to work for global a client base adds value to experience - we're not all decrepit desperados trying to earn US$. Most of us care about our profession and value client support and mutual respect.

 

Maybe a bit of introspection will help you see beyond your stereotyped biases!

 

Oh, and BTW - I get those invites from US clients wanting to pay a pittance for plenty! I always decline and often include that their rate is nothing short of exploitation (no matter where the freelancer lives).

m_terrazas
Community Member


Mike J wrote:

Hi Community!

At Upwork, we are constantly working to create a culture of inclusion and belonging. As part of this endeavor, we are working to root out any biased language on our site. Your feedback and insight can help ensure everyone feels welcome on Upwork. We’ve put together a few questions to guide your thinking, but all feedback is welcome.

  • Are there any specific terms you have encountered on Upwork that are outdated or make you feel uncomfortable?
  • How do you define inclusion? Do you feel the Upwork site is inclusive?
  • As a freelancer, do you feel Upwork treats freelancers and clients equally? If not, what could we do to help foster a relationship that is mutually empowering?

We look forward to hearing from you on this important initiative.


About the inclusion, I will not comment, I think they have already said a large part.
About the equally treatment of freelancers and clients.
I think not, they are not treated the same as each other, and in part I can understand it.
But there is one part that I would like to see changed, and that is regarding the "rating" of customers.
Since clients have a hidden scoring way to rate freelancers (I already know the reasons why it was established), this should be available to freelancers as well, and for the same reasons.

I'm talking about JSS.

Clients should also have a JSS.
In this way, since there is no client profile and we cannot know much about them until we get them to answer a proposal, we would have more information without depending only on public opinions (which, as in the case of clients , may not be real for various reasons).

nicoledeannedean
Community Member

So this happened today. Does Upwork take action for stuff like this?

**Edited for Community Guidelines**


Nicole D wrote:

So this happened today. Does Upwork take action for stuff like this?


Nicole, what was the nature of the job? I ask because I've noticed a tremendous surge in job posts that are actually recruiting people for various kinds of marketing research--surveys, focus groups, mystery shopping, etc. Those kinds of gigs (which in my opinion are not legitimate freelance jobs and should be banned but that's a battle for another day) would have age group quotas to fill.

 

Hi Nicole,

 

A gentle reminder, some content from your post has been removed for Community Guidelines.  Please avoid posting email content, chat transcripts, or other private communication.

 

No worries! I have escalated your concern to the appropriate department to have the client reviewed. Actions will be taken according to our internal processes.

 

 

 

 

~ Arjay
Upwork
miriam-ocampo
Community Member

  • Are there any specific terms you have encountered on Upwork that are outdated or make you feel uncomfortable? Yes, Upwork is constantly asking questions like this one and if they don't like the answer they just delete it or ignore it. People have been complaining about the boosting feature and the answer was: "too bad we are going to keep it"  "next".
  • How do you define inclusion? Do you feel the Upwork site is inclusive? It is far from being inclusive, a few days ago I posted a reply in Spanish and it was deleted because "it was against the rules of the community" and I got a warning that if I kept doing this I was going to be banned from the page. So, that means if there is a group for Spanish-speaking freelancers we can never communicate in Spanish? I'm not saying I'm going to answer my customers in Spanish or any other freelance that does not speak Spanish. 
  • As a freelancer, do you feel Upwork treats freelancers and clients equally? If not, what could we do to help foster a relationship that is mutually empowering? Upworks just takes from freelancers (commissions connects, monthly fee, and I know it's not your fault but we also have to pay taxes and bank commissions) and make sure the clients are comfortable. Again, the boosting feature, the chargeback issues, the scammers, etc. I just joined another platform a few days ago and I got a flood of jobs from scammers, but guess what? the page takes them down really fast. You keep asking questions like this one and if you don't like the answer you just ignore it and do nothing about it. 
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