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muhamd_asim
Community Member

Hourly Work

Hello Upwork community

Due to tough sechedule, I have been busy from last month and due to which I keep on adding manual hours instead of tracking via upwork app and the thing is client allows me.

So is this a violation or something I need to think about to keep my account safe ?

9 REPLIES 9
atifsadiq7
Community Member

Hi ,

Its not a Voilation as Upwork Allows Manual Hours . Further more Client has also allowed you to Add manual Hours .

petra_r
Community Member


Muhammad A wrote:

 

Due to tough sechedule, I have been busy from last month and due to which I keep on adding manual hours instead of tracking via upwork app and the thing is client allows me.

So is this a violation or something I need to think about to keep my account safe ?


I don't understand how adding manual hours when you are busy somehow makes you less busy......  It is not a violation unless you didn't actually work those hours, but if the client should dispute or fail to pay, you not get paid for any of those hours at all.

 

Should there be any sign of you adding hours you did not actually work, or had someone else do the work for, or such stuff, you certainly could put your account at risk.

 

To me the idea that you add manual time due to being busy does ring loud warning bells.... It sounds like you were too busy to actually do the work.

 

wlyonsatl
Community Member

Muhammad,

 

As long as you understand that no client has any obligation whatsoever to pay you for any hours you add manually to Upwork's system, even if Upwork tells you the client has "allowed" you to post manual hours, then your arrangement is between you and your client.

 

Some freelancers here have claimed they regularly add manual hours on their projects and never have a problem with client payments. I only work with most of my clients for a few weeks or months, so I only get to know a very few of them well enough to trust they'd unfailingly pay me for any manual hours I booked.

 


Will L wrote:

 

As long as you understand that no client has any obligation whatsoever to pay you for any hours you add manually to Upwork's system, even if Upwork tells you the client has "allowed" you to post manual hours, then your arrangement is between you and your client.


True.

And "has allowed" likely means the client has not disabled the "allow manual time" - which is the default setting!

 


Will L wrote:

 

 

Some freelancers here have claimed they regularly add manual hours on their projects and never have a problem with client payments. I only work with most of my clients for a few weeks or months, so I only get to know a very few of them well enough to trust they'd unfailingly pay me for any manual hours I booked.


I do use manual time and I have never had an issue either, but never with new clients or without actually discussing it with the client. I am also well aware that it could / might backfire one day.

 


Will L wrote:

Muhammad,

 

As long as you understand that no client has any obligation whatsoever to pay you for any hours you add manually to Upwork's system, even if Upwork tells you the client has "allowed" you to post manual hours, then your arrangement is between you and your client.

 

Some freelancers here have claimed they regularly add manual hours on their projects and never have a problem with client payments. I only work with most of my clients for a few weeks or months, so I only get to know a very few of them well enough to trust they'd unfailingly pay me for any manual hours I booked.

 


Will, I have a question for you: When referring to something another FL has said that does not align with your own practices, habits or beliefs, why do you always characterize it as their "claiming" to do something or believe something or know something? The implication is that nobody but you can be relied on to speak truthfully here. 

 

In any case, I think it's nice that the nature of your work lends itself to using tracked hours only, so you are not burdened with the sort of client management entailed in establishing sufficient mutual trust and rapport to make manual hours feasible. The work I do involves too much non-screen activity for tracked hours to be useful, and I've happily earned tens of thousands of dollars through manual hours over the past couple of years. (Many of my projects last months, but some are done and dusted within a few weeks or even a few days.)


Phyllis G wrote:


Will, I have a question for you: When referring to something another FL has said that does not align with your own practices, habits or beliefs, why do you always characterize it as their "claiming" to do something or believe something or know something? The implication is that nobody but you can be relied on to speak truthfully here. 


I know, right?

So, so tiresome. And oh, so transparent.

 


Phyllis G wrote:

 

In any case, I think it's nice that the nature of your work lends itself to using tracked hours only, so you are not burdened with the sort of client management entailed in establishing sufficient mutual trust and rapport to make manual hours feasible. The work I do involves too much non-screen activity for tracked hours to be useful, and I've happily earned tens of thousands of dollars through manual hours over the past couple of years. (Many of my projects last months, but some are done and dusted within a few weeks or even a few days.)


LOL, or so you "claim" - as do I. But we are probably lying, or making it up, or are paid to say so or any of the other ridiculous implications and conspiracy theories and outright maliciousnesses "certain people" want to imply.

 

 

Well, Phylis, if it makes you feel better I'll try to remember to use some version of "say" rather than "claim" in the future.


Will L wrote:

Well, Phylis, if it makes you feel better I'll try to remember to use some version of "say" rather than "claim" in the future.


As you wish. Your commentary reflects on you, not on me.

kat303
Community Member


Muhammad A wrote:

Hello Upwork community

Due to tough sechedule, I have been busy from last month and due to which I keep on adding manual hours instead of tracking via upwork app and the thing is client allows me.

So is this a violation or something I need to think about to keep my account safe ?


Adding manual hours does not violate any of Upwork's terms. However it is a big risk and is not protected. Even though the client has allowed manual hours they do not have to pay for those hours. That doesn't mean you shouldn't add manual hours. and some jobs can't be tracked so manual hours have to be added. Unless you have built up trust and a relationship with a long term client you should be wary. As Petra pointed out, how can you be so busy to use Tracker and not so busy to add manual hours. They both take about the same time and effort to use. Just because you have a tough schedule and are too busy doesn't mean you should add manual hours. Why not do the Right thing and use Tracker?

 

I am not saying you would do this, (hopefully) but it's very easy to scam a client by entering more hours then you actually worked. There's no proof you did work those hours. I'm a client sometimes, and if a freelancer said they were to busy to use Tracker while working on my job I wouldn't use them. But that's my opinion. 

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