How to calculate the freelancer's working time?

Question

Freelance

Hello. Let's say I'm a customer, I found a contractor who takes the n-th amount per hour of work and works at home. Upon completion of the work, the contractor says that he spent 4 hours. I understand that there are various time trackers, but, as I understand it, it is the performer who controls them, i.e. he can do the job in 1 hour, not stop the tracker, but watch 3 hours of YouTube videos and only then press stop. Can I be sure that the stated time of the performer is spent on work?
upd:
I myself will act as a freelancer. And it’s embarrassing that, for example, I will spend 8 hours on the job, and the customer will then say: “You are kidding me, there is 2 work for the eyes ...”
Are there tools and tools that would confirm the actual time spent on work?

Answer 1

The tracker is of little help.
Although, if you wish, trackers take screenshots. You can see what exactly the performer was doing
. Only here is one "but": I can do work for another customer right in front of you , in between work for you.
You just won't understand.
This is what actually happens, and not at all u-tube.
So it's just a matter of trust.
And competition between performers.
PS:
In fact, what difference does it make to you that the performer charged you an hour for 20 bucks in 2 hours, and actually worked for half an hour;
at the same time, the performer charged you 6 hours for 10 bucks per hour, but actually worked 5.5 hours??????
You are only interested in the total amount for the performance of the work, for the result, and not for the time . Time is nothing to you. Only the result matters.

Answer 2

Often the ratio is not equal, in most cases freelancers spend more time than the final amount in the ratio of hourly pay.
Bullshit, my advice to you, do not engage in nonsense.
Most importantly, do not look for and do not be fooled by those who say that its 1 hour costs 100 rubles, in all other cases, such a situation cannot be a priori.

Answer 3

Never worked in hours in your understanding. Calculate the cost for the project as a whole or for a separate part. Although I know the approximate rate per hour.

Answer 4

stupid question, you have
a tracker for that, so that you know what a freelancer does, just look at the screenshots and if he watched the videos, you don’t pay for these hours

Answer 5

1. About time tracking and report: www.timesnapper.com/index.aspx (Free, Individual PRO: $25)
2. About motivation and payment: here

Answer 6

Don't evaluate at all. You either trust or you don't.

Answer 7

trackers with screenshots) look for a person who will inspire confidence. And yes, look not at the time, but at the result. I can do the same work both in an hour and stretch it out for 3 - the result will not change

Answer 8

In general, time tracking and freelancing are two incompatible things) you need to immediately determine the fee for a specific project or task, and how much time you spend on it is your problem, not the customer’s)