Manually time

[asimbhatti1001]

Hy everyone,

I'm new to Upwork. I got a job at an hourly rate. The client has verified the payment method. But accidentally I added the manual time daily. Almost the project is done and I deliver the work to the client on daily basis. Now it's time to review the weekly stamp by the client. Even before adding the weekly time I  talk with a client. Now I'm wondering what if the client does not pay me. Basically, I want to know how I can confirm the client is paid to Upwork or approved for my work. Even the project is still in progress. Kindly help me.

[wlyonsatl]

If your client does not pay Upwork for your billed time you will receive an email with details about what the problem was.

In this case, no news is good news.

[asimbhatti1001]

In my profile, the hourly pay is added which is now $100+ earnings. Does this mean the client is paid a payment to Upwork now? But in overview, the payment is still in progress because today is Tuesday and on Friday the payment goes to pending. I just want to confirm whether the client is paid or not. Even the client profile is also shown that he has paid 6 hours $90+ which is mine.  

[NikolaS]

Hi Muhammad,

Hourly contracts may be covered by Upwork Hourly Protection. For all of your hourly contracts, your clients are automatically invoiced and billed for the hours you log according to the weekly billing cycle.

You can find more information in this help article. 

[asimbhatti1001]

Yup, I know. But that's not my question. I just want to confirm whether the client is paid to Upwork or not. Because I'm wondering about my payment. I worked hard for this.  

[feed_my_eyes]

Read about how the weekly billing cycle works in the link that Nikola gave you, then you'll understand (also read about how to properly use the time tracker, and start using it). 

Do you have any particular reason to be worried that you won't get paid?

[fbb367e0]

You can try with "upwork hourly protection".There is a time tracker. Automatically billed with your hourly rate.Read  the articles about it.

[martina_plaschka]

People must understand that manual hours, IMO, should only be used in exceptional circumstances, like forgetting to turn the time tracker on. 

I see no reason to use manual hours at all. They are not payment protected, the client can't see what the freelancer is working on, so the chance to build trust is just forfeited. 

I don't know why people agree to manual time. No reason to do it, disadvantages to both freelancer and client. 

[prestonhunter]

I agree with Martina.

The purpose of manual tone is to be able to log time for work that can't be done on the computer. For example, if you hired to bake cakes and photograph them, you would need to use manual time.

[d08e0ce7]

Hi Preston,,,please give a hand in this matter. I made a research from my country Paraguay, South America for a journalist. It took me a week to finish and we agreed 5 day hour per week. I already sent her my work. She´s happy and wants to pay it. I don´t know how to fill up the manual form since the contract started March 21, delivered March 26 but it seems like the Upwork week goes from Monay to Monday. Am I right? What´s the correct way to send her my weekly report through manual time ?

[gilbert-phyllis]

I agree that manually logged hours are not for everyone and should only be used under specific conditions. Having earned a substantial portion of my UW lifetime billings via manual hours, though, I feel compelled to speak up. The nature of my work is such that some of the most valuable time my clients pay for is spent staring at the wall or out the window, or consulting a print resource to confirm something. In any case, I work across multiple screens, sometimes including one that is not connected to the WiFi; and often using a printout on which I've made notes by hand during a meeting. The clients who hire me don't care about my screen or keyboard activity. When I bring up the issue of manual time and how I use it, they are often shocked to hear about the desktop tracker and adamant that they don't have time to think about something like that; and sometimes a bit mystified that anyone would hire a FL if they didn't trust them to track time honestly. Similarly, I can't imagine accepting a contract with a client who didn't trust me to that extent.

This works for me because I've been freelancing for decades and in addition to being good at what I do, I'm also good at reading clients and good at ensuring we establish appropriate and workable terms of engagement as part of scoping the project. These include how we each work, rhythm & tempo of communications, expectations about availability and turnaround time on requests and questions. To the extent possible, I get a sense of where this project fits into the broader fabric of their work -- is it a top priority for their boss, is it mission-critical for some initiative due to begin next quarter, or is it something they're finally getting around to doing which could get sidelined at some point?

Once the contract is live, if we're working together for the first time then I do limit my exposure the first week or two, while continuing to flesh out all the understandings outlined above and build trust on both sides. 

So, on one hand, manual hours are definitely not for everyone or every situation. But neither is UW. IMO a strength of the platform is that it offers tools for the widest possible range of talent, clients, and circumstances. It's up to each FL to determine how to use which tools safely and profitably.

[d08e0ce7]

I agreed 5 hours weekly with client. I already sent my work, which took me three times more effort. I don´t complain because it is my first job and delighted with the research I was asked. My client said it was awesome and she wanted to pay ASAP.  She asked me to send her my hours to get paid and the manually method is allowed by client. I just don´t know how to use it - How do I fill the form to get paid for my 5 hour per week contract? 

I live in South America and everthing is mre complicated si I was lucky to find a great client who is waiting for me to bill her. What´s wrong?

[wlyonsatl]

All hourly contract payments due to a freelancer are calculated at the end of each Upwork work week ending Sunday night at midnight Greenwich Mean Time (London). Any hours tracked or manually entered for the seven days ending last Sunday will be paid out to you about midweek next week.

Are you showing any payments in review or pending when you click on the Reports/Overview items on the menu at the top of your Upwork home page?