Dear Denis,
In troubling and uncertain times like these, we find more meaning than ever in our company mission, which is to create economic opportunities so that people have better lives. It is through this lens that we are responding to the current COVID-19 crisis. I wanted to update you on the steps we are taking and the ways we can help you.
As Upwork's CEO, I'm very aware that self-employed individuals and small-business entrepreneurs often face heightened risks in economic downturns. Upwork is committed to supporting you through this trying time, and we are working hard to ensure that clients know that your skills and talent may be exactly the thing they need to get through the current crisis.
The ways we are all connected have never been clearer, and Upwork remains committed to helping all our community members however we can. In particular we are working to:
• Help you maintain business continuity. We are working hard with our clients around the world to ensure that their changing business needs are translating into work opportunities for all of you — particularly in this time when the need for work done remotely is at an all-time high. We are investing in developing new job pipelines for you so that you can find meaningful work opportunities on our platform even as this crisis unfolds. We are also helping our clients successfully adapt to remote work.
• Facilitate your earnings from non-Upwork clients. We are testing a program that gives you the ability to leverage our escrow services and directly invoice your non-Upwork clients. We are here to help you get paid at a time when prior solutions such as cash and checks may not be viable. If you are interested, please sign up here.
• Accelerate receipt of payments. We have heard from many of you a heightened desire to expedite payments from your Upwork clients. We have established an internal task force that is working on how we might do this, and we will keep you posted on these efforts in our community forum.
On behalf of the entire Upwork team, I want you to know how much we appreciate your efforts. You're doing the critical work of helping your customers keep their businesses moving at a time when disruption and stress are very high. Our thoughts continue to be with each of you. Please stay safe, stay healthy, and stay connected — and let us know how we can help.
Sincerely,
Hayden Brown
President and CEO, Upwork