Need for setting up minimum hours set for an hourly contract

[swati-pitre]

There is a feature in Upwork that sets maximum number of hours however for an hourly contract but there is no such thing as minimum hours that could protect freelancer's risks well and such that they can adjust their other ongoing contracts and schedules as better. Can anyone please help? If there is no such feature can Upwork consider having such feature? 

Thanks

Swati

[martina_plaschka]

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Swati P wrote:

There is a feature in Upwork that sets maximum number of hours however for an hourly contract but there is no such thing as minimum hours that could protect freelancer's risks well and such that they can adjust their other ongoing contracts and schedules as better. Can anyone please help? If there is no such feature can Upwork consider having such feature? 

Thanks

Swati

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That is not how freelancing works. You only get paid for hours that you actually work for a client. This is not employment, where this does not apply. I don't even want to think about how this could be abused.

[swati-pitre]

Thanks Martina

I agree, the feature could be abused as well. But for established contractors/ freelancers it might be a help, of course only if client also agrees. It is not exactly freelancing feature but I was talking about a contracting feature wherein if both parties agree to it, it will be a helpful to it. Like in some hourly contracts offline, there does happen to be a minimum hours feature. Just like max cap we have. Really really appreciate your time in reverting on it. 

[melikee · Accepted solution]

There is also another option, weekly retainer. If your client agrees the terms it has a similar function to the one you are looking for.

[swati-pitre]

Hello Malike

Thanks for your response. Yes this is what I was looking for, ratainer kind of a function. Can you pl confirm if the 'Advanced Options'=>'Weekly Payment' shown on the following link Q/A, is the same retainer option you are suggesting? It is available on hourly contracts. 

Weekly retainer - Upwork Community

Do all Upwork clients have it?

Really appreciate your response on my question. 

Thanks

Swati

[melikee]

I never used it actually, so I don’t know the details. Support members and more experienced community members may inform you better.

[swati-pitre]

Thanks Melike, I can imagine you not knowing further details about this specific feature. If any other more experienced member of our community have answer to this question (specific question, do all clients have this feature available even now?) can you pl  contribute and revert? Thanks again. 

[swati-pitre]

Looks like this is the closest option to what I asked as original question. At the same time, based on various replies it is looking like the similar feature didnt work well for some reason or the other. I just wanted to address that as a need, maybe a potentially improve'able feature in the future. Or something that can be mutually worked out by freelance and client such that there is some minimum 'work' assured every week. It is not really a free funds good freelancers would be asking for but more of a forecast on continual work/ assured. Thanks everyone. 

[petra_r]

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Swati P wrote:

 If there is no such feature can Upwork consider having such feature? 

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They tried that briefly with a special type of contract that paid a certain minimum number of hours every week, regardless of how much was worked, plus any hours logged in excess.

It was an absolute, unmitigated disaster and was canned fairly quicky.

Weekly retainer won't work for what you want, because that is paid in addition to any hours logged and is also not protected.

[swati-pitre]

Thank you Petra for your valuable inputs. Appreiate it. 

Swati

[richard_wein]

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Petra R wrote:

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Swati P wrote:

 If there is no such feature can Upwork consider having such feature? 

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They tried that briefly with a special type of contract that paid a certain minimum number of hours every week, regardless of how much was worked, plus any hours logged in excess.

It was an absolute, unmitigated disaster and was canned fairly quicky.

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I'm curious,  what went wrong? 

Weekly retainer won't work for what you want, because that is paid in addition to any hours logged and is also not protected.

Well, she could just log the hours worked in excess of the hours covered by the retainer.  But as you say, payment for those unlogged hours wouldn't be protected (as the retainer is not protected).

[petra_r]

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Richard W wrote:

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It was an absolute, unmitigated disaster and was canned fairly quicky.

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I'm curious,  what went wrong? 

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Clients didn't like paying for hours that weren't worked, basically, and clients didn't like paying for minimum hours just to find that freelancer used any excess paid-but-not-worked hours to work for other clients, and as usual, many clients didn't quite understand what they signed up to and ended up blaming the freelancer of overcharging.