Recording Working Hours on Upwork

When to Start Recording

As a freelancer on Upwork, it’s crucial to understand when you should start recording your working hours. This not only ensures you’re paid fairly for all work completed, but it also helps maintain a transparent relationship with your clients.

You should start recording your working hours in the following instances:

• Time-Based Jobs: Begin timing as soon as you start working on a hourly project. This includes all the research, planning, executing and finalizing stages of the project. Remember, communication with the client pertaining to the job should be included in the working hours.
• Initial Discussion: If your client is agreeable to this, you can clock in the initial discussion or brainstorming sessions. However, this must be communicated clearly and agreed upon prior to beginning.
• Revisions: If your work requires post-approval revisions that were not specified in the initial job description, these hours can be recorded and charged.

Remember!

Ensure you are using the Upwork Desktop App to track your hours. Manual time can be added but isn’t protected under Upwork’s Payment Protection.

Communication Is Key

Always discuss and agree on what constitutes billable hours with your client before starting a project. Mutual understanding prevents disputes over billed hours later.

In conclusion, as an Upwork freelancer, starting your work clock properly can help maintain professionalism and transparency with your clients.