Upwork’s 2022 Impact: Innovation in the Face of Uncertainty

Amid a year of unprecedented challenges, Upwork remained steadfast in our mission to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. As the world continued to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, natural disasters, and other crises, we doubled down on our commitment to empower individuals to build thriving careers and businesses, no matter their location. Ultimately, our mission is about more than just earning a paycheck—it's about giving people the power to take control of their futures and build the lives they want.

Our President and CEO Hayden Brown sums it up poignantly: “Last year, we continued to ensure that our work marketplace is built to foster opportunity for everyone, including talent facing hardship or extraordinary circumstances and those traditionally marginalized from the workforce. Our ability to rally together and innovate in a world of constraints is a testament to the resilience of our community and the culture of our team.”

In our 2022 Impact Report, we look back at the past year and share how the Upwork team anticipated and addressed the unique needs of the changing workforce in order to advance a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future of work.

Enabling career innovation

At Upwork, we’re dedicated to building community offerings and products that empower individuals to unlock their full potential as they embrace their passions and navigate new career paths.

As an example, the Upwork Community Groups program was launched in 2022, providing talent and clients alike with online hubs that foster connection and belonging. These groups span myriad topics bucketed under five main categories: Identity, Industry, Interest, Impact, and Location. With over 100 groups launched, including 30+ groups in non-English native languages, Community Groups offer a great way to make friends, share information, and participate in a more engaging experience on Upwork.

Additionally, the Community Events team hosted 187 events that were attended by 28,000 community members from around the world. These events covered diverse topics such as Upwork best practices, business-building tips, and peer-focused discussions. We also expanded talent coaching and learning opportunities through Upwork Academy, an interactive suite of courses and tools to help talent succeed on Upwork.

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Supporting local communities

Upwork began over two decades ago by pioneering a better way of working, helping businesses find more flexibility, and connecting talent with more opportunities, regardless of their geography. For that reason, the invasion of Ukraine was personal for us. Upwork wouldn’t be where it is today without the contributions of team members in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, and they continue to be core to our company and culture. We have also always had a significant customer presence in the region. It’s because of the contributions of these team members and customers that we’ve been capable of building a groundbreaking company and marketplace, and we’ve thus been deeply committed to supporting our community in the region since the war began.

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Upwork joined forces with the Tent Partnership for Refugees to create Opportunity Unlimited, an initiative that helps professionals displaced by the war in Ukraine or violent conflicts elsewhere find work, no matter their location. Between February 24 and December 31, 2022, over $200 million was earned on our platform by talent impacted or displaced by the war. Upwork itself gave a $1 million corporate donation to Direct Relief International and our matching gifts campaign raised $154,000 for nonprofits offering medical and food aid, financial assistance, and other emergency support to those affected by the war.

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We also fast-tracked initiatives in direct response to global emergencies like the war in Ukraine—including the ability to send donations via Project Catalog and a check-in feature that allows talent to share their safety status with their clients—which are now permanent programs we plan to build upon year after year.

We leveraged The Upwork Foundation to further support immigrants and refugees displaced by outside forces globally. In 2022, the Foundation gave a total of $1.68 million to 12 high-impact nonprofits connecting traditionally marginalized communities with life-sustaining knowledge work.

Fostering team member growth and engagement

All of Upwork’s people programs are designed to catalyze a culture of engagement, belonging, and high performance in a remote-first environment. We’re constantly designing and improving our remote work systems, policies, and technologies to help our workforce to become even more efficient. This ongoing process includes the creation of a new remote organizational effectiveness team to lead and codify many of these efforts as we continue to grow our global hybrid workforce.

At Upwork, we believe the ability to create a work marketplace that serves the various needs of a global talent pool and business community starts with how we embody diversity, inclusion, and belonging in our own culture, from top to bottom. Upwork Belonging Communities (UBCs) are centered on shared social identities and contribute to a sense of belonging that helps improve the workplace experience. UBCs are open to both our full-time employees and our hybrid team members so that everyone can find their place within our One Upwork community.

Additionally, Upwork has made a dedicated strategic investment in creating and implementing programs aimed at promoting equity and opportunity. These initiatives include GlowUP, a community for Upwork's leaders of color to connect and foster camaraderie, and RiseUP, a formal sponsorship program for directors of color that focuses on increasing organizational visibility and the likelihood of promotion. We also established UPstanders in 2022, a program offering workshops to build inclusive practices and advance a collaborative culture at Upwork.

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Building a more sustainable future of work

Because remote work reduces commutes and has the potential to reduce business travel and office space, Upwork is a natural ally in the fight against climate change. In 2020, Upwork committed to carbon neutrality, and we’ve met that commitment annually, not only by maintaining carbon-neutral operations but also by offsetting most of our Scope 3 emissions which occur upstream and downstream of Upwork's operations.

Due to our remote-first operating model and our use of renewable energy and renewable energy credits (RECs), our Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which cover the direct and indirect emissions tied to our office-based energy use, have been steadily declining since 2019 to marginal levels—nearly zero.

In 2022, we took a significant step in quantifying and offsetting the emissions from work our team members conduct remotely. We also expanded our supply chain analysis to include not only our cloud-based services but the estimated emissions for all our suppliers. At Upwork, 100% of our e-waste is reused, recycled, or donated to nonprofits including HIAS, PEPY, and the Women’s Prison Association, among others.

Looking forward to continued impact

Times of change and challenge are ripe for innovation; that’s what the Upwork team, together with our customers, delivered in 2022 and will continue to deliver for the world of work. Thank you for being a part of our community. We’re excited about what we will accomplish together in the year ahead.