**Trust & Safety Investigations (TSI) Escalation Directory

Trust & Safety Investigations (TSI) provide both investigations and business risk advisory services to deliver insights into new potential areas of business risk and look for opportunities to reduce those risks.

NOTE: All cases need TL approval before being escalated to TSI.

When should you report a case to TSI?

Trust and Safety Case

You need to have suspicious behavior reviewed that may be impacting the business (typically seen within Social Media and not often within CS). Examples include:

• Social media posts that provide information about Upwork account customers advertising to sell or lease their accounts
• Unknown parties seeking to gain intelligence about Upwork employees, customers, or systems. 

Executive Protection Case

You have a matter that you think might need law enforcement engagement or referral to a third-party organization e.g. the FBI, government agencies, etc.

This could be threats made through social platforms, or cases that may flow through that call out inferred or direct threats; physical threats, stalking or blackmail - could be from our FLs or CLs, but more specifically any instances where these threats are directed towards HWS or FTE.

Workplace Security Case

• There is an immediate threat to life, significant financial loss, or reputational harm to Upwork or its workforce. Examples include:
  • Physical harm can relate to any person and can include, virtual, actual violence or stalking, including cyberstalking even if the victim is not known. 
    • If a customer is threatening self harm, the self harm policy / process will be following in a majority of cases, but if it’s felt that this is an imminent threat where they are stating they are going to do something in this exact moment, seek a TL immediately
    • If someone is reporting another person is threatening their life / harm to them and/or someone is threatening the life / harm to someone else, recommend dialing 911 or the emergency number for their represented country and seek a TL immediately 
  • Reputational harm is a hidden threat or danger to the Upwork brand and can occur in a variety of ways. Negative direct actions of its employees, customers, or business partners, or through adverse perceptions in the market, including doxing or hate campaigns. 
  • Significant financial loss can include actual or potential loss, embezzlement, fraud, or systems abuse leading to loss of >$50K.

To report a case to Trust & Safety Investigations follow the process below: 

Video explanation of process here, but please ensure to review the steps below for completeness. 

If a person or customer reports any of the above, ask your TL to confirm the case needs to be escalated to TSI. If your TL confirms the case needs to be escalated, the TL will take over the case CC’ing their manager & Michelle Appleberg.

Team Lead Process Handling: 

• Create a NEW Zendesk ticket (do not CC or add the reporter to this ticket, internal only ticket)

• Go to the macro search area and type in TSI and select “TSI-Escalation” 

• The subject line, ticket description, assignee, and the TSI Escalation form selection will auto-populate, no need to make any changes or fill out anything extra in these sections

• Fill in the TSI Escalation form fields, where needed. 
  • The Submitter - refers to “YOU”, the agent who is escalating the issue
    • The agent would enter their Upwork email address, name and team in the dedicated fields
  • The Subject  - the person or customer who we’re requesting be investigated. The subject can also be a website, social media profile, forum, posting, etc. 
  • The Victim - the person or customer impacted by the Subject, usually in a negative manner. Example, CL is being extorted for money by a FL and the FL is holding the CLs code hostage until the CL pays them a large sum. The CL is a victim in this circumstance 
  • The Witness - the person or customer who is witness to material facts that support the case. Example, we receive a report from a customer who sees an exchange online where one individual sells their Upwork profile to another customer, the person who saw this exchange is the witness

• Submit the ticket as open

The Submitter will receive communication regarding the outcome of the investigation from TSI within this ticket.

Note: Not every field may need to be filled in since every case may be different and unique.