Open contract but client doesn't send tasks, so there is no activity

[efeldman]

Hi,

So I have this old client in Upwork that I worked for 2 years with them, now they reached to me and opened a new contract for more work but they still didn't send any task or feature request to start working.

They apologized saying that the person in charge of the changes is really busy and can't fill the backlog, but I see the time running and no activity in this open contract.

Will this impact in a negative way? Should I close it?

Thanks.

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

Esteban:
As you know, clients are not obligated to send tasks.

If you have a brand new contract, and have never logged time on that new contract, and then you close that contract, then it would be counted as a "zero-pay contract." These have a negative impact on a freelancer's JSS.

You have completed 16 jobs and over 4000 hours of work. So any negative impact on you would be less than on a new person.

You have a significant job history with 100% JSS right now. Would closing this job hurt your JSS? Maybe a little.

If you want to wait, and leave the job open until they have tasks they can assign to you, then that wouldn't hurt anything.

If they apologized and feel bad about setting up a new contract without assigning work, then maybe you could ask them to pay you a $5.00 bonus payment and then close the contract. If they do that, then it will NOT be a zero-pay contract, and it won't hurt your JSS.

[9ff08892]

What if you have started the contract and the client stops giving task just because he wants you to subscribe for an application and promise to pay but you refuse to do that due to your experience with him about a pending payment.

[prestonhunter]

Nkechi: You are here to earn money.

You are not here to send money to schemers.

If this is a real client, theis client will pay for your subscription.

If this is a schemer or scammer, this person will try to trick you into spending money.

Ignore this "client."

Having this contract open isn't hurting you.

If the client asks you to do something you can do, then do the work while logging time and getting paid. If the client asks you to subscribe and pay money, tell the client to sign up for a subscription or send you a bonus/reimbursement payment so you can pay for the subscription.