UpWork Diary Screen Shots

[1f0ca91b]

From a client's perspective, I do not want screenshots from my contractor's work to be captured in their work diary, and I want to be able to permamently delete any screenshot that was captured through the course of their work (regardless if it is the current week's work, or several weeks ago).  From reading the other posts in this forum, it seems only the contractor can delete screen shots and, if they do, it alters their billable time.  Is that correct?  Are there any options for me, as the client, to delete and prevent screen captures?

[prestonhunter]

You have many options.

You can hire only using fixed-price contracts.

You can use hourly contracts but require manual time.

You can let freelancers use desktop-tracked time and then you can review the screenshots and if you see any you want to delete you can ask the freelancer to delete them and you can pay a bonus to cover the time.

[1f0ca91b]

Thanks for the quick response Preston!

Hummmmm ... this sounds like a business process nightmare and given the UpWork foot print, should have been properly addressed by now.  Even clients not having the ability to delete screenshots once the contract has ended would be a HUGE oversight in basic functionality.

Does anyone else have an answer?

Thanks!

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Eric,

Our team will reach out to you via ticket as soon as possible and will assist you further with how to set up your contract and any additional questions you may have regarding hourly contracts. Thank you.

[1f0ca91b]

Thanks!

[1f0ca91b]

Just as a note here for other clients, as Preston alluded to, here is some info from UpWork support:

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[prestonhunter]

re: "Does anyone else have an answer?"

I let freelancers log time, which records a screenshot approximately every ten minutes.

The freelancers can see the screenshot and I can see the screenshot.

Why do I care about that?

re: "Even clients not having the ability to delete screenshots once the contract has ended would be a HUGE oversight in basic functionality."

Screenshots for closed contracts are NOT available permanently. There is a regular schedule that determines when they are purged.

For the record:
Screenshots aren't an oversight.

This is the core "value added" prospect that Upwork (previously oDesk) provides. It is basically what they built their entire company on.

[1f0ca91b]

This issue is about confidential/sensitive/regulated data and security protocols and procedures, so it only applies when screenshots contain data that relates to those circumstances or when clients simply don't want that information recorded.  The desktop app auto-logging time is a good feature, however, it would be better if the client could choose not to have screenshots recorded and still auto-log time.

Looks like UpWork will follow up with me so it will be interesting to see how securly they store screenshots and how often then purge them.

Thanks!

[prestonhunter]

If you, as a client, had the ability to review work diaries and delete selected screenshots without deleting the time segment, would that be a feature you would use?

Or is that NOT of interest, and you just want the option to allow freelancers to log time with the desktop time tracker while NOT recording screenshots?

[1f0ca91b]

Yeah, I do think having screen shots makes sense in terms of accountability.  They provide evidence of what a contractor has been doing with the time that is billed - a form of payment protection for UpWork if time is disputed.  However, the client should be able to choose, at least at some point (maybe after payment has been submitted), to delete screenshots.