How do I know if my client has approved my overages of hourly work at the end of the week?

[gavinmcgarryla]

Sometimes clients set the weekly minimum at 5 or 10 hours. If I go over it's is shown red but how do I know they have approved it so I can follow up? Many clients do not check Upwork.  

What do I tell them in order that I can get the overage hours approved?

Thanks in advance,

Gavin

[prestonhunter]

Gavin: This is not complicated.

If you see those time segments are in red, you are not going to get paid for that time.

How do you know if the client has approved you going over the weekly maximum? Easy: They have not approved of it. If they had approved of it, then the maximum would be a higher number and those hours wouldn't show up in red.

You may choose to work as many hours as you want past the maximum weekly limit. That is your choice. A client is obligated to pay for that time and Upwork won't bill them for that time.

You may consider doing what most of us do: When you reach the limit, stop working. Wait to continue until the next week. Feel free to send the client a note:

"Eliza: I finished the Daners file. I have reached the maximum allowed hours for the week. I can start work on the next file when the new week starts, or you can increase the hours and I can do more work this week."

[richard_wein]

If your client increases the maximum hours before the end of the week,  then you will be paid for hours up to the new maximum. So you can ask your client to do that. Once the week is over it's too late, but you could still ask your client to pay you for the time with a bonus.