Re: Unavailable for New Work

anthonygoel · ‎02-17-2021

Hi,

I have set my availability to 'Unavailable for New Work'.

However, I have several clients who have not bothered responding to the change in my availability, leaving the contracts in a dormant status. In most cases, the dormancy will probably continue. But how can I prevent a scenario where one client wakes up one fine day and assigns me some work? Is there any way I can eliminate this situation from taking place? In all likelihood, I will not even be viewing the e-mail id associated with my Upwork account.

Best,

petra_r · ‎02-17-2021

Anthony N wrote:
However, I have several clients who have not bothered responding to the change in my availability, leaving the contracts in a dormant status. In most cases, the dormancy will probably continue. But how can I prevent a scenario where one client wakes up one fine day and assigns me some work? Is there any way I can eliminate this situation from taking place?

"Unavailable for new work" means "new contracts" and does not affect open contracts. Existing clients don't get informed, either.

The only way you can avoid it is to end the contracts.

I would also set an auto-responder that tells anyone who sends you a message that you are not available, and for how long.

prestonhunter · ‎02-17-2021

re: "But how can I prevent a scenario where one client wakes up one fine day and assigns me some work?"

If there is a client that you are not curently doing any work for, you would be better off making sure that all contracts are closed with that client.

If is easy for a client to create a new contract. It is free for them to do so. You don't need to keep a contract going if you aren't doing any work on it. You can close it yourself or ask the client to close it.

There is no completely reliable way for you to prevent a former client from contacting you. Unless you block them on all forms of communication that you ever used with them, not just Upwork but also email, phone, etc. That is rarely something that freelancers want to do with clients that they liked working for.

But it is fine if you can't block them from contacting you. If a client that you were working with before contacts you and wants you to work for them again, then you should be flattered that they think so highly of your work. But you are not required to take on a new assignment from them. You aren't under contract or anything. You can simply tell them that you don't have time to work on that right now.