If you review a freelancer’s Work Diary and believe that certain tracked time should not be paid, you can open a dispute directly from the freelancer’s hourly contract. This process will allow you to deduct and remove hours that you consider should not be paid.
Before opening a dispute, review the relevant Work Diary entries, including tracked hours, activity levels, screenshots, and the type of work being performed.
How Do I Find the Contract I Want to Dispute?
To open the appropriate hourly contract:
- Sign in to your goLance client account.
- Select Contracts from the left-side menu.
- Select Hourly Contracts.
- Find the freelancer and contract you want to review.
- Click directly on the Contract Name.
- Open the Work Diary tab to review the freelancer’s tracked time before deciding whether to dispute it.
What Should I Review Before Opening a Dispute?
Review the Work Diary carefully before disputing time.
Depending on the tracked period, you may be able to review:
- Logged hours
- Activity or productivity levels
- Screenshots
- Keystrokes
- Mouse clicks and scrolls
- Task or work categories
- Individual 10-minute tracked periods
A lower activity level can indicate that a period deserves closer review, but it does not automatically mean that the freelancer was not working. Consider the screenshots and the type of task being performed before making a decision.
How Do I Open the Dispute?
After opening the appropriate hourly contract:
- Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the contract page.
- Select Open Dispute.
- Complete the information requested on the Dispute Details page.
- Select the time you want to dispute.
- Enter a clear explanation of why you are disputing the time.
- Review the information and click Open Dispute to submit it.
Can I Pause or Close the Contract Before Disputing?
Yes.
From the contract’s three-dot menu, you may also have the option to:
- Pause Contract: Prevents the freelancer from tracking additional time until the contract is resumed.
- Close Contract: Permanently ends the contract.
You can still open a dispute if the contract has already been paused or closed.
Which Work Diary Periods Can I Dispute?
You may be able to dispute entries from:
- The current week
- The previous week
However, disputes must be submitted while the applicable Work Diary review period is still open.
The review period runs from Monday through Friday morning. Once the review period for a Work Diary has ended, that period can no longer be disputed.
Always review the deadline displayed on the dispute page before submitting your request.
How Much Time Can I Select for a Dispute?
You do not have to dispute an entire week.
Depending on what you want to dispute, you can select:
- An entire week
- A specific day
- A specific hour
- Individual 10-minute tracked periods or screenshots
Use the checkboxes beside the relevant entries to select only the time you believe should be disputed.
What Should I Enter in the Dispute Details?
Use the Dispute Details field to clearly explain:
- Which time you are disputing
- Why you believe the time should not be paid
- Any relevant information from the Work Diary
- Any screenshots or activity information that contributed to your decision
Provide enough detail for the dispute to be reviewed properly.
Can the Freelancer Continue Tracking Time During a Dispute?
The dispute page may provide an option to allow the freelancer to continue tracking time while the dispute is being resolved.
Review this option carefully based on whether you want the freelancer to continue working under the contract.
If you do not want additional time tracked, you can also pause the contract.
What Happens After I Submit the Dispute?
After completing the required information, click Open Dispute at the bottom of the page.
The goLance team will review your submission and may contact you if additional information is required.
Need Help? We hope this guide was helpful! If you have questions or need additional assistance, please contact our support team through the goLance chatbot. Our team is happy to provide further guidance.