Ending Assignments
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oDesk gives all users the freedom to end their assignments at any time. We cannot stress enough the importance of buyers and providers working together to form healthy and productive work relationships, no matter how long or short your assignments might be. Generally, it's best to have the buyer end the assignment.
Buyers and providers should attempt to talk to each other when considering ending an assignment. It's always best if both users are aware and in agreement. We recommended:
- Discussing the work that's been completed.
- Giving the provider an opportunity to check the current week's work diary and make adjustments if necessary.
- Creating a plan for any future work. Buyers often rehire the same providers. Would you be interested in working together again?
- Having the buyer end the assignment. This ensures the buyer leaves feedback and has an opportunity to submit final payment for a fixed-price assignment.
That said, you always have the ability to end any of your active assignments. Sometimes you have to make the tough decision to end an assignment that just isn't working out (do it sooner rather than later). Other times you may need to end an assignment before it even begins. oDesk will not penalize you for ending an assignment. If you're thinking about ending an assignment, please remember:
- Both users will have the opportunity to leave feedback.
- Assignments with less than $1 in net earnings are hidden from both users' work histories and excluded from the overall feedback score.
- Buyers cannot make fixed-price or bonus payments on ended assignments. However, logged hours will be billed as usual. Therefore, don't end a fixed-price assignment if you are awaiting payment.
- Providers can give refunds on ended assignments. Refunding all the earnings will remove the assignment and feedback from your profile.
Benching an assignment: Sometimes you don't need a provider to do any work for a while, but don't want to end the assignment so you'll both be prepared to ramp up quickly when there is more work. Just set their weekly limits to zero to ensure no hours are accidentally billed to you. You are not charged or penalized for having inactive providers on your team. Consider submitting a rate change as well for an opportunity to leave each other feedback.
Buyers and providers can end any active or suspended assignment at any time. You will be asked to leave feedback on the End Assignment form (unless it is an hourly job with no hours or payments).
- Go to My Jobs > Assignments. Select the Active tab.
- Find the correct assignment in the list. Click the Title in the Assignment column.
- Click end assignment at the top of the assignment details page.
- Hourly: Leave feedback (if asked) - you will still be billed for any outstanding hours per the usual weekly schedule.
Fixed-Price: Make final payment (full, partial, or none) and leave feedback. - Click the Submit button when you are finished. This cannot be undone!
Staffing managers and affiliated contractors both have the ability to end assignments and leave feedback. The directions are the same for both types of users.
Ending an assignment is immediate and final. Make sure you understand what will happen before you press Submit.
Several important things happen when you end an assignment. Please take them into account before you take that step.
Once the assignment ends:
- The work diary is locked immediately. The provider cannot log hours or make any changes.
- The provider loses team room and work diary access immediately. That includes Bugzilla and team messages.
- The buyer cannot submit new payments. Pending payments will be processed according to the usual schedule.
- The current week's hours logged will be billed according to the standard weekly pay schedule.
- Both users are asked to leave feedback. It's a double-blind system. The other user can't see the feedback you left them until after they've left feedback for you!
- The provider remains able to give a refund. Refunds can be given on any active or ended assignment; there are no time restrictions.
Yes! But there might be an easier way to continue your work relationship. Just trying to change the rate or leave feedback (on an hourly assignment)? Then there's no need to end and rehire - just give the provider a raise (large or small) to automatically create a new assignment at the new rate. Then you can leave feedback on the old one. Or consider putting the provider 'on the bench' instead of ending and rehiring.
If you do decide to end the assignment and rehire later, you will need to:
- Post a new job (or repost an old job).
- Invite the provider to interview again. You can find your past providers on the ended tab in My Jobs > Assignments. Their user IDs are linked to their provider profiles.
- Discuss the new work to be done and negotiate a new pay rate.
- Then you can rehire the provider in My Jobs > Openings (same directions as hiring the first time).
You can directly hire a provider for an hourly assignment at their profile rate (using the hire button in their profile). But only do this if you've already discussed the new assignment and the provider has agreed to take it on! (Learn more about quick hire.)
