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Aleksandra's avatar
Aleksandra M Community Member

Maternity leave

Hi, Upwork community!

I'm planning to go on maternity leave for 3 months. So I'm wondering what is the best option to keep my JSS and my Top rated badge. (if possible) 

Most of my clients plan to continue to work with me, for the others I will make sure to close the contracts. 

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Bojan's avatar
Bojan S Community Manager

Hi Aleksandra,

 

Lack of activity on the account doesn't have any negative effect on your Job Success score. That said, since JSS is calculated for time windows of 6-, 12- and 24 months, it may change as some contracts fall off of the calculation. There is a chance that you won't meet some of the eligibility requirements when you are on your maternity leave, in that case, your Top Rated status will be removed. If you still meet eligibility requirements, you'll remain Top Rated.

 

Additionally, make sure to change your visibility and availability on your profile and consider setting the out-of-office responder in Messages.

~ Bojan
Upwork

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9 REPLIES 9
Bojan's avatar
Bojan S Community Manager

Hi Aleksandra,

 

Lack of activity on the account doesn't have any negative effect on your Job Success score. That said, since JSS is calculated for time windows of 6-, 12- and 24 months, it may change as some contracts fall off of the calculation. There is a chance that you won't meet some of the eligibility requirements when you are on your maternity leave, in that case, your Top Rated status will be removed. If you still meet eligibility requirements, you'll remain Top Rated.

 

Additionally, make sure to change your visibility and availability on your profile and consider setting the out-of-office responder in Messages.

~ Bojan
Upwork
Remi's avatar
Remi O Community Member

I was curious abut this too.

Is there a way to request a sort of freeze on the JSS calculation while one is on maternity leave?

It's sad to think one will be effectvely 'penalized' for being in such a situation especially if one is top-rated.

I'd like to know the possibility of this.

Thanks Bojan!

 

Mark's avatar
Mark F Community Member

If not too presumptuous...congratulations.
Amanda's avatar
Amanda L Community Member

This is just my opinion, but I think JSS freezes due to maternity or illness (if it could be requested and proven), would be nice. I'm not speaking to logistics or anything else, just that it would be thoughtful and equitable, in my opinion. 

Abinadab's avatar
Abinadab A Community Member

Won't happen on Upwork as we know it.

Remi, the freelancer marketplace is deliberately cutthroat.

We may want to look up the meaning and implications of the word "freelancer" again.

No apologies are given for not giving freelancers

- Sick leave

- Workplace accident paid leave

- Maternity leave

- Dental, and such other social insurance that would vary from one jurisdiction to the other.

These are privileges typically associated with traditional jobs.

If a freelancer wants those, she should consider looking for a real job.

 

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


edited as misunderstood

Aleksandra's avatar
Aleksandra M Community Member

Thanks Bojan!

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Aleksandra M wrote:

 

I'm planning to go on maternity leave for 3 months. So I'm wondering what is the best option to keep my JSS and my Top rated badge. (if possible) 

Most of my clients plan to continue to work with me, for the others I will make sure to close the contracts. 


Aleksandra, there is no way you would lose your 100% JSS (because it's 100% and you have enough recent successful outcomes, so doing nothing for 3 months mathematically can't make it less than 100%) if you don't get poor feedback from one of your ongoing contracts if you take 3 months off. 

 

What you want to do to safeguard your top rated status is set your availability, and also do "something" during those three months, even if it's just to apply for a single gig towards the end, to fulfill the "activity on the platform" criteria.

 

  • Activity on the platform (proposal, accepted invitation, or earnings) in the past 90 days

Because you can't NOT fulfill all the other criteria during the three months break (again, unless you end up with poor feedback) both your 100% JSS and your top rated status would be safe until you get back.

Aleksandra's avatar
Aleksandra M Community Member

Thank you very much Petra!