What do you do when a client crosses the line—breaks a contract, refuses to pay, or treats you like an employee under the guise of freelancing?
This article tells the story of a real-world breach with company Verdant Strategies, outlining exactly how to document your case, protect your legal position, and communicate like a professional under pressure.
Whether you choose to pursue legal action or part ways peacefully, preparation is your best protection.
Freelancer Beware: How to Spot and Avoid Clients Who Breach Contracts
Freelancing offers freedom—but that freedom comes with the responsibility of protecting yourself. Not every client honors their word, and when contracts are broken, the fallout can be costly.
In this blog, we’ll walk through clear warning signs of clients who may breach agreements, from shifting priorities to delayed payments, and how you can protect yourself with proactive contracts and clear boundaries.
If a job on Upwork is listed as private, then after the contract ends and we give each other feedback, does the feedback remain private? Or does the public get to see the feedback?
On Upwork, if a job is listed as private, it generally means that it is not visible in public job searches or on a freelancer’s profile. However, once the contract ends and both parties leave feedback:
- Feedback Visibility: The feedback itself is public on your profile, even if the job listing was private. This means your star rating and written review from the client will still appear in your work history.
- Job Title & Description: If the job was private, it will not appear on your public work history. Only the feedback (ratings and comments) will be visible, but the job title and details will not.
- Client’s Feedback: The client’s feedback for you will be public, unless they specifically choose to leave a private review, which is only visible to Upwork and does not affect your public profile.
- Your Feedback for the Client: Your feedback for the client will also be visible on their profile.
Key Takeaways:
- Feedback (ratings & comments) will be public even if the job was private.
- Job details remain private and won’t appear in your work history.
- Private feedback (optional) is only visible to Upwork.
Does the star rating only change when the employee and the freelancer leave each other feedback?
Yes, the public star rating on Upwork only updates when both the freelancer and the client leave feedback for each other, or when the 14-day feedback window expires (whichever comes first).
Here’s how it works:
- Feedback is double-blind – This means that neither the freelancer nor the client can see the other’s feedback until both have submitted it, or until the 14-day feedback period ends.
- Star ratings update only when feedback is exchanged – If both parties submit feedback, Upwork immediately updates the freelancer’s Job Success Score (JSS) and displays the star rating on their profile.
- If only one party submits feedback – If one party (either the client or freelancer) leaves feedback but the other does not, the submitted feedback becomes visible after the 14-day feedback period expires.
- Private feedback also impacts JSS – Even if the client leaves only private feedback and skips public star ratings, it can still affect your Job Success Score (JSS), but not your visible star rating.
Summary
- Your star rating updates when both parties leave feedback or when the 14-day window closes.
- Public feedback is revealed only after both parties submit it or when the period expires.
- Private feedback affects JSS but does not appear in public ratings.
UpWork Feedback – Avoid Working with This Employer (Verdant Strategies) – Breach of Contract, Non-Payment, and Potential Misclassification
My experience working with this employer was highly challenging due to breach of contract, failure to pay for services rendered, scope creep, and unfair treatment.
Based on my contract terms, I was engaged as an independent contractor with sole discretion over how tasks were executed.
However, in practice, the employer micromanaged my work, imposed strict approvals, and required mandatory meetings, all of which contradicted my contractual autonomy and blurred the line between an independent contractor and an employee.
Key Issues Encountered:
- Non-Payment for Services Rendered – Despite fulfilling my contractual obligations, the employer failed to compensate me for all completed work, disregarding agreed-upon terms and payment structures. This resulted in significant financial losses.
- Breach of Contract – The contract clearly outlined a 10-day written termination notice requirement. However, the employer abruptly terminated the agreement via Upwork chat, bypassing contractual protocols and failing to provide the required notice period compensation.
- Scope Creep & Unfair Treatment – My responsibilities expanded significantly beyond the original agreement, including frequent urgent tasks, excessive administrative burdens, and unnecessary conference calls where my role was minimal. This added workload was imposed without additional compensation or renegotiation of terms.
- Failure to Follow Established Processes – The employer maintained a strict approval process, yet frequently delayed responses, causing inefficiencies. Despite my best efforts to adhere to their workflow, I was routinely left waiting for approvals, hindering my ability to meet deadlines.
- Potential Misclassification under California Law – The employer’s expectations and imposed controls closely resembled employee treatment rather than an independent contractor arrangement. Under California Labor Code § 226.8, this could constitute intentional misclassification, which carries legal and financial consequences.
- Lack of Professionalism in Termination – My dismissal was not communicated through the contractually agreed-upon email method. Instead, it was handled informally through Upwork chat, violating the agreed-upon termination process and depriving me of the compensation I was contractually owed.
Recommendation for Future Freelancers:
I strongly advise freelancers to avoid working with this employer unless they are willing to accept contract breaches, late payments, excessive scope creep, and potential legal misclassification risks. Proceed with extreme caution if considering engagement, and ensure all payment terms and contract conditions are strictly enforced from the beginning.
While I take pride in delivering high-quality work and maintaining professional relationships, my experience with this employer was marked by mismanagement, lack of contractual integrity, and exploitative labor practices.
Freelancers, protect your time, labor, and legal rights. Seek clients who honor agreements and compensate fairly.
This review keeps everything factual, professional, and within Upwork’s guidelines, avoiding defamatory statements while still clearly warning other freelancers about the risks of working with this employer. Let me know if you’d like any adjustments!
Tips For Writing An UpWork Review That Won’t Be Removed For Violating Feedback Policy
Your review is strong, professional, and well-structured, but it could be slightly refined for conciseness, impact, and adherence to Upwork’s guidelines (avoiding personal attacks while maintaining a fact-based, warning tone). Here are a few suggested improvements:
Key Refinements:
- Avoid Naming Individuals – While mentioning the employer’s company name is reasonable, naming individuals directly could violate Upwork’s policies on harassment or defamation. Consider focusing on “the employer” instead of “Rachel Wright, Florian Philippe.”
- Tighten Repetitive Points – Some sections (e.g., “Non-Payment for Services Rendered” and “Recommendation to Future Freelancers”) are repeated almost verbatim. A more streamlined version will keep the message impactful.
- Stronger Conclusion – The last paragraph can be reworded to end on a decisive note, reinforcing the risk of working with this employer.
Edited Version:
🚨 Proceed with Extreme Caution – Employer Engages in Unethical and Potentially Unlawful Practices 🚨
Freelancers should avoid working with this employer due to significant contractual violations, non-payment for services, unfair treatment, and possible labor law violations.
During my engagement, I provided content management, newsletters, social media, blog articles, video editing, and more. Despite fulfilling all agreed-upon tasks, I encountered serious ethical and contractual breaches that every freelancer should be aware of.
Key Issues:
🔴 Non-Payment for Services Rendered
Despite completing work per the contract’s terms, the employer failed to pay for delivered services, ignoring requests for compensation and leaving invoices unpaid.
🔴 Breach of Contract & Improper Termination
The contract explicitly required 10 days’ written termination notice, yet the employer terminated the agreement abruptly via Upwork chat, bypassing contractual protocols and failing to compensate for the notice period.
🔴 Potential Violation of California Labor Code § 226.8 (Intentional Misclassification)
Although hired as an independent contractor, I was subjected to strict controls over working hours, methods, workflow, and mandatory meetings, contradicting the contractual agreement. Under California labor laws, this may constitute intentional misclassification, which carries serious legal and financial consequences.
🔴 Scope Creep & Unreasonable Expectations
The employer expanded the scope of work significantly without adjusting compensation, frequently assigning urgent tasks outside the contract’s original terms. Excessive administrative burdens and unnecessary conference calls wasted time without providing value.
🔴 Failure to Follow Established Processes
Despite enforcing a rigid multi-tiered approval process, the employer routinely delayed responses, making it impossible to meet deadlines. This resulted in inefficiencies and disruptions, directly conflicting with the contract’s agreed-upon workflow.
Final Recommendation: Avoid This Employer
Freelancers should avoid working with this employer unless they are prepared for contract breaches, non-payment, excessive scope creep, and potential labor misclassification issues.
If you choose to engage, demand milestone-based payments upfront, document all agreements in writing, and be extremely vigilant. However, based on my experience, I strongly discourage working with this employer due to unethical business practices and disregard for contractual obligations.
Freelancers, protect your time, labor, and legal rights. Seek clients who respect agreements and compensate fairly.
Why This Version Works Better:
✅ Stronger Opening & Conclusion – A bold call to action grabs attention and warns freelancers.
✅ More Concise & Impactful – Repetitive points are removed, keeping the review focused and professional.
✅ Compliant with Upwork’s Guidelines – No personal attacks or defamation, just fact-based, verifiable issues.
Can your use the client’s full first and last name in your UpWork feedback review?
No, you should not use the client’s full first and last name in your Upwork feedback review. Doing so would likely violate Upwork’s feedback and community guidelines, which prohibit personally identifiable information (PII) in reviews, including full names, email addresses, phone numbers, and other private details.
What You Can Do Instead:
- Use a generic reference, such as “this client” or “[Employer’s First Name]” (only the first name if it was publicly displayed on Upwork).
- Reference the company name if they operated under one and if it was publicly available.
- Keep the review strictly fact-based and focused on the business transaction rather than personal details.
By following these guidelines, your review remains compliant with Upwork’s policies while still serving as a strong warning for other freelancers.
How to proceed even if UpWork’s feedback policy doesn’t explicitly say you can’t use the clients first and last name in their feedback review?
Upwork’s feedback guidelines don’t explicitly state that you cannot use a client’s full name.
However, there are a few reasons why it’s still best to avoid doing so:
1. Upwork’s General Privacy and Confidentiality Rules
- While the feedback section does not explicitly ban names, Upwork’s Terms of Service (ToS) and community standards broadly prohibit sharing personally identifiable information (PII), such as full names, emails, phone numbers, or private details of clients.
- Using a client’s full name could be interpreted as a breach of confidentiality if that information isn’t already publicly available on Upwork.
2. Risk of Review Removal or Account Issues
- If a client reports your review for including their full name, Upwork moderators may remove or edit it to comply with privacy standards.
- While unlikely, repeated violations could impact your freelancer account.
3. Alternative Approach to Stay Compliant
Instead of using their full name, you can:
- Use their first name only (if publicly displayed on Upwork).
- Refer to them as “this client” or “the employer.”
- If they are a company, use the company name (if publicly listed).
Takeaway
Even if Upwork doesn’t explicitly prohibit full names in reviews, avoiding them aligns with best practices, ensures compliance, and prevents any risk of review removal or moderation action.
Would you like help rewording your review to align with this approach while keeping it strong and effective?
What’s the word limit for UpWork’s feedback review after contracts end?
Upwork allows public feedback to be up to 1,000 characters long. This includes spaces and punctuation.
For private feedback, which is only visible to Upwork and affects the client’s Job Success Score (JSS), there may be additional fields with shorter limits, such as rating-based feedback and optional comments.
Final Thoughts
Agreements are straightforward—honor commitments and maintain clear communication. Unfortunately, this client frequently shifted priorities, making it difficult to fulfill contractual obligations.
Verdant Strategies’ inconsistent communication and lack of integrity in business practices resulted in numerous unfulfilled agreements and operational inefficiencies.
