Abdul Rehman’s Post

I completely agree with the need to raise our voices as freelancers on platforms like Upwork. We dedicate countless hours and resources to build our reputations, yet a single negative review can erase our hard work. It’s frustrating to see policies that favour clients without fair consideration. We must unite and advocate for a more balanced approach to support one another. Let's stand together for fairness! #Support #FreelancerRights #FairnessForFreelancers

Hello everyone, I fully support this view and stand with other freelancers who have faced similar challenges and want to share my experience as well. I recently earned my #TopRated badge on #Upwork, and while I always aim to keep my clients happy, it’s tough when I have to say no to extra work that wasn’t agreed upon—without worrying about a bad review. One negative review can wipe out months or even years of hard work, and it doesn’t always get fair consideration. As a freelancer, I just want to feel like the platform is supporting us too, not just the clients. It’s important for Upwork to protect everyone fairly so we can continue to trust and grow here. #support #UpworkReform #freelancersrights

I can attest to this! I've been a freelancer on the platform for a while now. How it was before, I'd stick up for them. But time after time again they FAIL their own Freelancers. There is NO loyalty to you as their employee. 1 bad review got my success score from 100%, something I worked hard for. And took it all the way down to 91% regardless of all the POSITIVE reviews on my page. I know that's nothing compared to what others have experienced on UpWork, but I'm just using that as an example. That 1 review also lead to an email of them threatening me saying something around the lines of 'if we continue to get negative feedback, it will result in account deactivation'. What!? They need some major work, having fallen from grace so rapidly the last few months. Not just that. But I've also had my fair share of clients trying to blackmail me for more work than agreed (which funny enough, is the reason I got that 1 bad review as well). Upwork Instead of going AFTER the ones who do all the work, and make you all the money (since you charge us so many fees now), why not start cracking down on quality control when it comes to job postings? Ban sketchy clients? Watch out more for spam postings? etc? There has to be SOME kind of loyalty to us!

I’ve been through the same. I once lost my Top Rated badge because a client, who wasn’t clear about their needs, gave me negative feedback. Despite my efforts to satisfy them, it wasn’t enough, and Upwork’s support did nothing to help. If Upwork continues to show such bias, how can freelancers and agencies trust the platform? #freelancers #Upwork #freelancerchallenges #clientfeedback #supportfreelancers

This is what I am faced with them last week. The client had two active contract that I have been working on for almost 4 months. After completing his projects, I delivered with screenshot and video evidence of work completed, only for the client to send dispute which I rejected. One of the contract was canceled immediately and both parties (I and the clients) got the money and upwork said it was a one time offer or so but my JSS dropped to 64% from 100%. the other contract was in support request as group conversation between I, the client and upwork, I provided all screenshot of work done and explained my part but the client never counter it nor give a reasonable reply, then upwork asked to move it to arbitration and asked us to pay or they would refund the fee to the client and I told upwork immediately that I don't have the arbitration fee which i got no reply from them (upwork). After exactly a week that we didn't pay the arbitration fee, upwork refund the fee to the client without reviewing any of my explanation and proof of work. I lost the money after working for almost 4months (SEO project at that) and my JSS dropped drastically. The platform is all rubbish. if it is only the clients that matters to them, they need to shutdown their platform because the platform would never exist without freelancers and their skills.

Hello Upwork, We need to raise our voices. Please #support and repost. It makes some changes for sure. Freelancers like me are facing similar challenges. I urge everyone to repost this. I am extremely disappointed with Upwork's policies, or rather, the partiality shown towards clients. We invest a significant amount of time, money, and effort on this platform, building our reputations and acquiring badges over the years. Yet, a single review can wipe all of that away. Without thoroughly investigating both sides, Upwork often trusts client reviews—whether private or public—and penalizes freelancers by removing their badges or diminishing their profiles. Sometimes, clients expect freelancers to work unreasonable hours, and when we stand up for ourselves, they leave negative feedback. Upwork seems to blindly side with clients, causing years of hard work to vanish with one poor review. Today, I experienced the same situation. Despite working extra hours (even on weekends), my client blackmailed me, demanding more work than agreed. When I couldn’t meet these excessive demands, they gave me bad feedback. Upwork’s support offered no help, simply stating there was nothing they could do. If Upwork continues to show this kind of bias, how can freelancers or agencies trust the platform? #upwork, #shame

In the end, Upwork, it’s us—the freelancers—who’ve made you what you are. Without us, you’re nothing. You’re charging us for every single connection, but you’re not charging clients to post bids. That’s unfair, and honestly, it’s frustrating. so f***** u**** UpworkUpwork

Hello Upwork, We need to raise our voices. Please #support and repost. It makes some changes for sure. Freelancers like me are facing similar challenges. I urge everyone to repost this. I am extremely disappointed with Upwork's policies, or rather, the partiality shown towards clients. We invest a significant amount of time, money, and effort on this platform, building our reputations and acquiring badges over the years. Yet, a single review can wipe all of that away. Without thoroughly investigating both sides, Upwork often trusts client reviews—whether private or public—and penalizes freelancers by removing their badges or diminishing their profiles. Sometimes, clients expect freelancers to work unreasonable hours, and when we stand up for ourselves, they leave negative feedback. Upwork seems to blindly side with clients, causing years of hard work to vanish with one poor review. Today, I experienced the same situation. Despite working extra hours (even on weekends), my client blackmailed me, demanding more work than agreed. When I couldn’t meet these excessive demands, they gave me bad feedback. Upwork’s support offered no help, simply stating there was nothing they could do. If Upwork continues to show this kind of bias, how can freelancers or agencies trust the platform? #upwork, #shame

Hey Upwork Community, I wanted to share my thoughts and hear your opinions about a challenge many of us freelancers are facing. Recently, I've noticed it has become increasingly difficult for freelancers to manage our connects, especially when we are invited by clients to bid on their proposals. It's frustrating because these invites seem like opportunities, but they come at a cost that is hard to bear. We already pay a 10% fee to Upwork from our revenue, which we accept as part of the platform's value in bringing us clients. However, now it seems like Upwork wants money on everything like submitting proposals, boosting proposals, and even to stay online, Upwork wants money in the form of connects. This feels unfair and counterproductive. Many freelancers right now might be thinking that the connect issue isn't significant for them because they have a steady flow of work or higher earnings. But what about the small freelancers? What about those who earn $100 or less from a project? For them, every connect and every dollar counts. How can we ensure that these freelancers have fair opportunities to grow and succeed? This issue is not only discouraging but also limits our ability to respond to potential work opportunities. Freelancers are here to deliver high-quality work and grow our careers, and it feels like this system is adding unnecessary hurdles. I'd love to hear from fellow freelancers: How are you managing your connects? Have you declined invites due to low connects? What changes would you like to see in Upwork's connect policy? Let's discuss and see if we can bring some positive change to how connects are handled on Upwork. #freelancing #upwork #connects #freelancerchallenges #upworkcommunity #freelancecareer

📢 An Open Letter to Upwork: Rethink the Connects Policy I'm frustrated with this bad policy of Upwork now! This is not a very good update from Upwork as most of the other freelancers on the platform are already struggling and now this barrier. What are you doing? We need to have connects to submit the proposal to the invite sent by the client, seriously Upwork? The platform is getting worse every single day mind it. I have been a loyal member of your platform, valuing the opportunities it has provided to connect with clients and showcase my skills. However, I am deeply frustrated and disappointed by the recent policy change requiring freelancers to use connects for submitting proposals. This new requirement creates unnecessary barriers for freelancers, especially those just starting out or working with limited resources. It turns what was once an accessible platform into a pay-to-play environment, stifling opportunities for many talented professionals. Freelancers choose Upwork for its promise of equal opportunity, where skill and effort determine success. The connects policy undermines this principle, potentially driving away both new and experienced freelancers who now face added financial burdens just to seek work. I urge Upwork to reconsider this policy. Listen to the voices of your dedicated users who have built their careers on your platform. Freelancing should remain a viable and inclusive path for all, without additional hurdles that hinder our ability to thrive. #Upwork #Freelancing #FreelancersUnite #ChangeThePolicy #EqualOpportunity