Outsourcing - How does it work?

[yeaimjess]

Hello everyone! 

I'm interested in learning more about outsourcing on Upwork. I know there are agencies on here, but do you have to have an agency to outsource your work?

In other words, if I form a team of two to three other writers outside of Upwork, am I allowed to hire them to write articles/blogs for my clients on Upwork without my writers having their own Upwork profiles? 

Also, as far as I am aware you are not allowed to outsource hourly contracts, but you can outsource fixed-price contracts, correct?

Lastly, when informing/asking a client if they are okay with you outsourcing the work do you mention this during the initial proposal, or once you made contact with the potential client?

If anyone has any experience with any of this I would truly appreciate as much feedback as possible. 

Thanks, everyone!

[LuiggiR]

Hi Jessica,

I know it's been a while since you posted this, but just to clarify, transitioning work is allowed on Upwork on a Fixed-Price contract only. The freelancer or the agency member is 100% responsible for the product they deliver and has to comply with all laws when they use independent contractors or employees to work on their contracts. Don't hesitate to post again if you have additional questions.

[kbadeau]

What happens if a freelancer outsources an hourly contract?

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Kelly,

The freelancer hired on an hourly contract cannot bill hours worked by another person. Only the account owner can log into that account and log hours they worked. Sharing accounts and billing hours worked by another person would be considered a violation and may result in account suspension.

[81f2681a]

Ok, but what happens if:

1 - The client hires an agency in an hourly contract.

2 - Suposing the job is to do an animation video of 30 minutes. Its obvious that just 1 person alone can´t do an animation video alone.

3 - Of course at least 3 persons inside the agency will be working: The animator, the musician and sound creator and the video editor.

4 - Lets supose that the agency account manager is the animator. The musician and the video editor is working on home office from their own homes.

5 - The animator logged in the app, did his work, the screenshots were taken and sent to the client. Ok, the client saw that the animator did his job, well done.

Now it is the turn of the musician and sound creator do his job

6 - How the musician will log in an agency hourly contract to do his job, get screenshot and send to client? How the client will see that the next step of the job is being by another person (the musician)? If just the animator can log in in the app...

7 - And how the video editor can prove he worked on the project from his home?

[kochubei_valeria]

Andre,

Even with agencies, the hours need to be accurately invoiced under the name of the person who completed the work. So in the scenario you're describing, if the client and the agency prefer to use the hourly model, the client will have to hire each of those agency members -  the animator, the musician and the video editor - on separate contracts under the agency. They will need to track hours they worked on their respective contracts.