What happens to hours over the limit?

When will a change in limit go into effect?

• Weekly limit increases go into effect immediately.
• Weekly limit decreases go into effect the following work week (Monday 0:00 GMT)
  

The provider went over the limit. Now what? 

Hours may be logged in excess of a weekly limit on any hourly job, but these hours will not be included in any invoices or timelogs. The hours that are logged in excess of a limit will still be visible in the Work Diary and Time Analyze views as documentation of the work. In the Work Diary view these hours will be designated by a brown status indicator and will be filtered out in the Time Analyze view by default. For example, a buyer may set a weekly limit of 20 hours per week. In one week, the provider had to meet a deadline for the project and actually logged 25 hours using the oDesk Team application. The buyer would receive a timelog and invoice for only 20 hours in that week, but could review the 5 hours over the limit through Work Diary or Time Analyze and decide whether or not to pay for those hours.

Work Diary view of time over the weekly limit:

The buyer will not have visibility into these hours unless they review the Work Diary or Time Analyze views. oDesk recommends that providers working over the weekly limit should contact the buyer and let them know about the situation. If a provider needs an increase in the limit, they should communicate the need with their buyer and ask them to change the limit on the assignment. If a provider works over the limit in order to meet some deadlines, it is important for the provider to communicate the hours worked to the buyer and display the Work Diary as documentation of the work performed. As a provider, you may want to ask the buyer to provide a bonus payment in order to cover the costs of the extra hours worked.

 

Important Note: If you have already gone over the limit for the week and your buyer decides to increase your limit, we do not re-evaluate over-the-limit time retroactively.

For example:

• The provider had a weekly limit of 20 hours at $10/hour.
• He went over and worked 22.
• The buyer raised the limit to 30 (after the provider had already gone over the limit).
• The provider works an additional 5 hours after the limit was raised.

How much will this provider be paid? The answer is (20 + 5) x $10 = $250. Why?

• He will be paid for the first 20 hours.
  
• The 5 hours worked after the limit was raised will be paid as well.
• The 2 hours worked over the limit before the buyer put in for an increase WILL NOT be paid. They will remain marked over limit as described above.
  

If you think you'll need to go over the limit, immediately contact your buyer about an increase so that it takes effect before you reach the limit!