Set a weekly limit for freelancer hours

You can control your project budget on Upwork by setting or adjusting a freelancer’s weekly hour limit. Increases take effect immediately, while decreases apply from the next Monday (UTC). Hours beyond the limit aren’t billed or covered by Hourly Protection unless approved and paid as a bonus.
 

To help you manage your project’s budget and control costs, you can set a weekly limit on the number of hours your freelancers can bill. You’ll set it when you create the contract terms on a job offer, and you can update it at any time.

To change a freelancer’s weekly limit after hiring

1. Go to Manage work > Your contracts to find the contract
2. Select Change weekly limit from the contract's (...) options menu

Things to consider when changing weekly limit

• If you increase a freelancer’s weekly limit, it takes effect immediately and hours already in your freelancer’s work diary will count against that limit. If you decrease a weekly limit, it won't take effect until the next work week (Monday at 00:00 UTC)
• Only hours within a contract's weekly limit are eligible for the Upwork Hourly Protection
• Hours in excess of the limit will not be billed (unless you are enrolled in Upwork Payroll)
• If you approve the work beyond the weekly limit, please issue a bonus payment to pay your freelancer for the hours
• You can change a freelancer’s weekly limit any time, even temporarily. If you want to raise your freelancer’s weekly limit for only one week, make sure you decrease it before the work week ends, which is before midnight on Sunday UTC