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138e3aa7
Community Member

Questionable Job

A client wants me to write a value proposition that is almost identical to that of a very big company for her firm. She has given me a brief explaining what she wants with headings that are exactly the same as **Edited for community guidelines**.

 

I feel this job is ethicaly questionable since it amounts to plagiarism. I mean, she's copied every bit of it from their website and wants me to rewrite or paraphrase it. How can I get out of this without losing my Job Sucess Score and report the issue? Or should i just do the job and leave the ethical issues to UpWork? 

 

 

ACCEPTED SOLUTION

If you decide to plagarise another company's website, you're the one who will be held accountable, not Upwork. Can't you simply suggest to the client that you should write customised content for them? That would be a much better marketing choice for them anyway. 

 

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6 REPLIES 6
martina_plaschka
Community Member


Yuvraj N wrote:

A client wants me to write a value proposition that is almost identical to that of a very big company for her firm. She has given me a brief explaining what she wants with headings that are exactly the same as **Edited for community guidelines**.

 

I feel this job is ethicaly questionable since it amounts to plagiarism. I mean, she's copied every bit of it from their website and wants me to rewrite or paraphrase it. How can I get out of this without losing my Job Sucess Score and report the issue? Or should i just do the job and leave the ethical issues to UpWork? 

 

 


I don't know what you mean by leaving the ethical issue to upwork - it is always your responsibility what kind of jobs you do.

This dilemma can be avoided completely by checking the content before accepting a job. You could tell your client that a project has come up that you were waiting for and you are very sorry yada yada yada - yes, I know this is lying and therefore unethical, but............

Your JSS will take a hit anyway if you have a no money paid contract. 

If you decide to plagarise another company's website, you're the one who will be held accountable, not Upwork. Can't you simply suggest to the client that you should write customised content for them? That would be a much better marketing choice for them anyway. 

 

Yes, this would be ideal. Thank you

Hi Martina,

 

Not everything can be verified before the contract starts, clients often send details/reference and instructions once the job has begun.

 

Yes what work I do is my responsibility which is why I have raised the issue with the respecetive moderator. But it is also partly UpWork's responsibility that these kind of demands don't become a regular feature.

The fact is i've spent connects and time applying this job, and once I get it, if it turns out that there's a questionable demand from the client- I lose out for having done nothing wrong.

 

Thanks for your response even though it didn't help at all

 

Best,

 

Yuvraj

 

 

 

That's just not good business. If you don't know the parameters of the job before you take it, you are willingly putting yourself in this very position. Next time get all the files and instructions and know the client's demands before accepting the contract. That will save you this headache.
BojanS
Community Manager
Community Manager

Thank you for flagging this for us, Yuvraj.

 

Could you please click on my name and send me a PM with more information about your report. I'll be sure to escalate it accordingly.

 

Thank you.

~ Bojan
Upwork
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