Statuses on a contract indicate if work is being done and what actions can be taken. This way, you and your freelancer can always stay aligned.
Types of statuses
Active: This indicates that the contract is currently in progress. All parties are expected to fulfill their obligations outlined by the contract. When a contract is active, work is being done.
Paused: The contract is temporarily inactive but may be resumed later. You can pause a contract if you don’t want a freelancer to log work and resume it whenever you’re ready to start again. We automatically pause Upwork Payroll contracts to prevent freelancers from logging time through our platform, but the freelancer should still complete work.
On Hold: Contracts are put on hold when there’s an issue that needs to be resolved. This can happen if your billing method expires, your account is suspended, or there is something wrong with the freelancer’s account.
Completed: The contract has been completed and closed. No further actions are expected.
To identify the status of a contract
- Go to Jobs > All contracts
- Each contract will list a status
To change the status of a contract
As a hiring manager, you can change the contract status between active, paused, and closed. Contracts that are on hold must resolve a problem before resuming. If you have questions about a contract that is on hold, contact Enterprise Support.
- Go to Jobs > All contracts
- Find the contract you’d like to change and select the (...) options menu
- Select an option to pause, restart, or end the contract. If you pause the contract, you’ll need to add information to tell your talent why it was paused
If the contract has been completed, you will not see options to pause or restart it. You can always rehire the freelancer, if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
A contract is paused when work is currently not being done but may be resumed later. For Upwork Payroll contracts, we will pause the contract to prevent freelancers from logging time using Upwork’s time-tracking software. Instead, they should log time through you, the employer.
No, restarting is just a way to “unpause” the contract.
Your contract may be put on hold for several reasons. For example, your billing method may have expired, your freelancer’s account is suspended, or your account is suspended. If you haven’t received an email with details as to why the contract is on hold, please contact Enterprise Support.
