Contractor Developer
Engagement Policy

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) establishes the policies, procedures, and requirements governing Virely LLC's engagement of software developers through the Upwork platform. It applies to all contractors hired to build, test, extend, or maintain any Dealsby or Virely platform including Dealsby Reservations, Dealsby Appointments, Dealsby Referrals, Virely Ops / SuperAdmin Dashboard (FlowForge), Virely Nexus, Virely Books, and Virely Corporate.

This document defines binding requirements for:

• Task creation, assignment, and acceptance
• Milestone structure, review, and CEO approval
• Testing and quality assurance before milestone release
• Time logging, documentation, and deliverable standards
• Project tooling: Jira, Otter AI, and Slack
• Standup calls, communication SLAs, and async updates
• CEO review and approval workflows
• Dispute policies and resolution procedures
• Professional conduct, IP assignment, and offboarding

3.1 Contract Types

3.2 Onboarding Requirements

1. CEO issues a signed Upwork offer with a link to this SOP.
2. Contractor receives and executes the Virely LLC Contractor Developer Engagement Policy via eSign (PDF). This document must be signed before project commencement. The signed PDF is retained by Virely LLC and remains accessible to the contractor throughout the engagement period. See Section 3.3.
3. Contractor acknowledges this SOP via Upwork message (written confirmation required).
4. Contractor is added to the Virely Slack workspace and #dev-conversations channel.
5. Contractor is added to the Virely Jira project with appropriate role (see Section 7).
6. CEO provisions access to required technology platforms for the engagement (see Section 3.4). Access is granted only to platforms necessary for the assigned tasks.
7. CEO provides the current production-stable build reference file for the relevant platform.
8. A kickoff video call is conducted within 48 hours of contract start; recorded via Otter AI.
9. Contractor confirms understanding of versioning discipline, file naming conventions, Jira workflow, and platform architecture.

3.3 Policy eSign Requirement

The Virely LLC Contractor Developer Engagement Policy (this SOP) is made available to contractors as a PDF document for electronic signature (eSign) prior to project commencement. This requirement applies to all engagements regardless of contract type or duration.

• The eSign PDF is delivered to the contractor via DocuSign or an equivalent eSignature platform before any platform access is provisioned or any work begins.
• Contractors must complete eSign within 48 hours of receiving the document. Failure to sign within this window will result in onboarding being placed on hold until signature is received.
• The fully executed (both-party-signed) PDF is retained by Virely LLC and stored in the engagement records.
• A copy of the signed policy is made available to the contractor for reference throughout the duration of the engagement. Contractors may request a copy at any time via #dev-conversations.
• If this SOP is updated during an active engagement, the contractor will be notified and provided a revised eSign PDF. An updated signature is required before the new version takes effect for that contractor.
• The eSign PDF serves as the binding agreement record. The Upwork message acknowledgment (Section 29) is a secondary confirmation and does not replace the executed PDF.

3.4 CEO-Provisioned Platform Access

The CEO is solely responsible for provisioning contractor access to all Virely LLC technology platforms. Contractors must not attempt to self-provision access to any platform, create accounts on Virely LLC's behalf, or request access through any channel other than the CEO.

Platforms that may be provisioned for contractor access depending on engagement scope include:

3.5 Contract Platform & Developer Agency Policy

Upwork is the primary developer contracting agency and default engagement platform for sourcing, vetting, contracting, and managing all developer engagements with Virely LLC. All standard contractor engagement processes, payment workflows, dispute resolution procedures, and work diary requirements defined in this SOP are written with Upwork as the primary reference platform.

Virely LLC recognizes that qualified developer services may be sourced through other agencies and platforms as project needs, talent availability, and business circumstances require. Other agencies and platforms may be used at the CEO's sole discretion to locate and engage qualified developer services. In all such cases, the behavioral, documentation, quality, and compliance standards of this SOP apply in full regardless of the sourcing channel.

4.1 Task Creation (CEO Responsibility)

All tasks are created by the CEO in Jira and communicated to contractors. Tasks must include:

4.2 Task Acceptance (Contractor Responsibility)

1. Acknowledge every assigned Jira task via Upwork message within 4 business hours. Move ticket to In Progress in Jira.
2. Confirm understanding of acceptance criteria — ask clarifying questions in the Jira ticket comments or #dev-conversations.
3. Flag scope conflicts, technical blockers, or estimated-hour overruns immediately upon discovery.
4. Never begin work on a task that has not been formally assigned in Jira by the CEO.
5. Never expand task scope without written CEO approval.

5.1 Milestone Design Principles

• Fixed-price contracts use milestones of no more than 5 business days in duration.
• Each milestone represents a discrete, testable deliverable — not a percentage of effort.
• Each milestone has its own acceptance criteria defined in Jira.
• Full testing and review cycle required before payment release.

5.2 Milestone Sizing Guidelines

5.3 Milestone Submission Requirements

1. Deliverable File(s): Named per versioning convention; submitted via Upwork file upload.
2. Submission Summary: Posted in Upwork messages. Must include Task IDs (Jira), summary of changes, files modified, known limitations, and test results summary.
3. Testing Documentation: Completed test checklist (see Section 8) submitted as a separate document.
4. Time Log (hourly): Screenshot or export of logged hours for the milestone period.
5. Change Log Entry: Brief changelog note added to the deliverable file's internal header comment.
6. Jira Update: All completed Jira tickets moved to the Done / In Review column.
7. Slack Notification: Post [MILESTONE SUBMISSION] in #dev-conversations tagging @CEO.

5.4 CEO Review Process

1. CEO acknowledges receipt via Upwork message within 1 business day.
2. CEO conducts functional review against acceptance criteria — testing in the staging/local environment on real devices.
3. CEO issues one of three decisions within 5 business days:

5.5 Revision Rounds

5.6 Complete Module Requirement — Frontend & Backend Integration

Milestone approvals are based on complete, integrated modules — not isolated frontend or backend components. A milestone will not be approved and payment will not be released for partial implementations that have not been fully integrated and tested end-to-end.

5.7 Developer Removal for Substandard Performance or Misrepresentation

Contractors may be removed from a project engagement immediately and without a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) under the following conditions. These are distinct from the standard performance review process and represent situations where continuation of the engagement is not in Virely LLC's interest.

6.1 Required Documentation — All Engagements

6.2 Changelog Entry Format

6.3 Final Handoff Document

• List of all Jira tasks completed with Task IDs and milestone references.
• Summary of all files delivered with version tags.
• Known bugs, limitations, or deferred items.
• Credentials, API keys, or configuration items created during the engagement.
• Recommendations or notes for the next developer.

7.1 Jira — Project Management Platform

Virely LLC uses Jira as the official project management and task tracking platform for all Dealsby and Virely platform development. All contractors must use Jira as directed. Jira is the system of record for task status, acceptance criteria, and sprint progress.

7.2 Jira Access & Setup

• Contractors are added to the Virely Jira project during onboarding (see Section 3.2).
• Contractors are assigned a Developer role by default. Lead developers may be assigned a Lead Developer role with additional visibility.
• Contractors may only view and interact with projects they have been explicitly granted access to. Cross-project access is not permitted without CEO approval.
• Jira access is revoked within 1 business day of contract completion or termination.

7.3 Jira Workflow & Ticket Lifecycle

7.4 Jira Usage Requirements

• All work performed must correspond to an open Jira ticket. No work without a ticket.
• Contractors must update ticket status in real time — not batch-updated at end of day.
• All blockers, questions, and task-specific discussions must be logged in the relevant Jira ticket's comment section (in addition to #dev-conversations for time-sensitive items).
• Hourly contracts: time log memos must reference the Jira Task ID (e.g., DSBY-047 — implementing recurring reservation modal).
• Contractors must not create new Jira tickets unless explicitly authorized by the CEO. All ticket creation is the CEO's responsibility.
• Attachments, screenshots, and reference files relevant to a task should be uploaded to the Jira ticket, not held in email or Slack alone.

7.5 Otter AI — Meeting Recording & Transcription

Virely LLC uses Otter AI to automatically record, transcribe, and archive all standup calls, kickoff calls, and any other scheduled video meetings. Otter AI ensures that all decisions, action items, and commitments made during meetings are documented and searchable.

7.6 Otter AI Requirements

• All scheduled standup and project calls are recorded via Otter AI. By joining any Virely LLC call, contractors consent to recording and transcription.
• Contractors may not disable, mute, or attempt to block the Otter AI recording bot from any Virely LLC meeting.
• The CEO retains all Otter AI transcripts and recordings. Transcripts are stored in the Virely LLC Otter AI workspace and retained for a minimum of 12 months.
• Otter AI transcripts serve as the official record of any verbal commitments, decisions, or action items made during calls. If a verbal agreement in a call contradicts a written Upwork message, the written Upwork message governs unless the CEO explicitly confirms the verbal decision in writing.
• Contractors who miss a standup call may request access to the Otter AI transcript for that session via #dev-conversations.
• Contractors must not share, distribute, or publish any Otter AI transcript or meeting recording without written CEO approval.

8.1 Testing Philosophy

No milestone will be approved without documented testing. Contractors are responsible for functional QA of their own work prior to submission. CEO review is final acceptance testing, not first-pass QA.

8.2 Testing Checklist — Standard (All Platforms)

8.3 Platform-Specific Testing — Dealsby Reservations

• Viewport mode switching (desktop/tablet/mobile) functions correctly using Audit14 CleanViewportFix pattern (.hidden class toggle only; flat _switchModeNow/_tabletSwitchMode; no VP-FINAL wrapper).
• Floor plan IIFE: null guards on FP_resize and FP_draw; window.FP_* exports deferred before init calls.
• No double-booking possible for any reservation type.
• All 7 platform features (SMS inbox, waitlist promotion, feedback routing, recurring reservations, server assignment, private events, waitlist join) remain functional.
• Starter plan 100 reservation/month limit enforced correctly.
• GDPR sub-panel z-index maintains value of 110000.
• C&R guest data clears on reset; session restores on reload.
• SMS and email counts sourced from localStorage history only — updateCommunicationStats counts from history; never incrementSMSUsage after saving.
• All dropdown selects: #2a2a3d (dark mode), #4a5568 (light mode).
• #rightDrawer has overflow:hidden; @media(max-width:1024px) has right:192px !important; welcomeScreen pointerEvents set to none at fade start in enterApp().

8.4 Bug Discovery During Testing

9.1 Upwork Work Diary Policy & Mandatory Standards

All hourly contractors must comply with both Virely LLC's internal time tracking standards and Upwork's official hourly protection policies. Upwork's Work Diary is the only accepted method of time recording for hourly engagements. Key Upwork policies contractors must understand and comply with:

• The Upwork Work Diary records automated screenshots at random intervals within each logged 10-minute segment. These screenshots are the primary mechanism of Upwork's hourly protection program and constitute the official record of work activity.
• Contractors are responsible for ensuring screenshots capture active, on-task work — not unrelated screens, idle windows, or personal activity.
• Upwork's hourly payment protection only covers hours logged through the Work Diary with manual time disabled. Hours added manually are not covered by Upwork's dispute protection.
• Manual time additions must be kept to an absolute minimum, are not covered by Upwork hourly protection, and are subject to unilateral CEO review and dispute within the 5-business-day billing review window.
• Contractors acknowledge that Virely LLC may dispute any weekly billing cycle within 5 business days of the invoice being issued. Past this window, hours are considered accepted.

9.2 Memo Requirements — Grounds for Dismissal

Every time log entry — without exception — must include a descriptive memo meeting the following standards. Failure to include a compliant memo is grounds for dismissal and wage dispute of the affected hours.

9.3 Verifiable Activity Summaries

When submitting milestone summaries, weekly status updates, or any summary of work performed, contractors must use verifiable activity descriptions that can be cross-referenced against Upwork Work Diary entries, Jira ticket history, and deliverable files.

Accepted forms of work verification:

• Upwork Work Diary entry with compliant memo and matching screenshot activity (primary)
• Jira ticket comment with timestamp, linked to a specific Work Diary entry
• Deliverable file with embedded changelog referencing the Jira Task ID and date
• Pull request or file commit with timestamp and Jira Task ID in commit message
• Otter AI transcript confirming a verbal task assignment and agreed scope (supporting evidence only)

9.4 Real-Time Logging Requirement

1. Time must be logged in real time as work is performed — not reconstructed, estimated, or added retroactively at end of day or week.
2. Minimum log entry: 10 minutes per the Upwork Work Diary minimum. No entries under 10 minutes.
3. Weekly hours must not exceed the agreed contract limit without prior written CEO approval.
4. Contractors must not log time for: standup preparation beyond 10 minutes, self-directed learning, tool setup not required by a specific task, or any activity not directly assigned by the CEO via a Jira ticket.
5. Bathroom breaks, meals, phone calls, and personal interruptions during a logged time block must result in the Work Diary timer being paused or stopped.

9.5 Fixed-Price Contract Time Transparency

While fixed-price contracts do not require formal time logs, contractors must include in every milestone submission a time transparency statement referencing: total estimated hours spent, breakdown by task/feature area, and any significant overruns vs. original estimate. This information is used for future milestone scoping and project benchmarking.

9.6 Time Log Audits

The CEO reserves the right to audit time logs at any time. Audits may be triggered by: deliverables inconsistent with logged hours, billing complaints, hours logged during standup-only days with no meaningful deliverable progress, or random quality review. During an audit, the CEO may request the contractor to justify any specific Work Diary entry by correlating it to a Jira ticket update, deliverable file change, or Otter AI meeting transcript.

10.1 Official Slack Channel

10.2 Message Prefix System

10.3 Daily Async Standup Post

On every working day, contractors must post to #dev-conversations using the following format:

10.4 Status Updates — Tuesday & Thursday

On standup call days (Tuesday and Thursday), contractors must post a [STATUS UPDATE] to #dev-conversations before the scheduled call time:

• Jira tasks completed since last standup.
• Milestones submitted or approved since last standup.
• Hours logged since last standup (hourly contracts).
• Tasks in progress with % complete estimate.
• Any risks, blockers, or concerns for the next period.
• Any scope questions or clarifications needed from CEO.

10.5 Response Time Requirements

11.1 Call Schedule

Weekly standup calls are held on Tuesday and Thursday of each week. Contractors are required to attend both calls unless excused in advance.

Calls are led by either the CEO (Brent Wright) or the designated lead developer. All calls are recorded and transcribed via Otter AI (see Section 7.5).

11.2 Standup Call Format

11.3 Call Requirements

• Video is required for all standup calls. Audio-only not accepted except with advance CEO approval.
• Contractors must be prepared — Jira task list, blockers, and questions ready before the call.
• All calls recorded and transcribed via Otter AI. Consent is granted by joining the call.
• If a contractor cannot attend, notify the CEO at least 4 hours in advance via #dev-conversations and submit a written standup summary before call time.
• Repeated missed standups without notice (2+ in a 30-day period) are grounds for contract review.

11.4 Time Off & Availability Notice

• Failure to provide minimum notice is treated as a communication SLA failure.
• The CEO does not guarantee milestone deadlines will be extended for unplanned absences.
• Contractors are not entitled to paid time off. Hourly contracts are paid only for hours logged.
• Absences of 5+ consecutive business days during an active fixed-price milestone may be treated as non-delivery if the deadline passes without prior CEO approval of an extension.

12.1 Approval Workflow

1. Contractor submits deliverable with all required documentation and updates Jira to In Review.
2. Contractor posts [MILESTONE SUBMISSION] to #dev-conversations and sends Upwork message.
3. CEO acknowledges receipt within 1 business day.
4. CEO conducts functional review on real devices (up to 5 business days).
5. CEO posts decision (APPROVED / APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS / REJECTED) to Upwork, Slack, and updates Jira.
6. If APPROVED: Upwork milestone released for payment.
7. If REJECTED: CEO posts itemized rejection notes. Contractor has 48 hours to acknowledge and provide remediation timeline.

12.2 CEO Authority

• Approve or reject any milestone, regardless of deliverable state.
• Expand or reduce task scope at any time with written notice.
• Terminate a contract with or without cause, subject to Upwork's dispute policies.
• Escalate a dispute to Upwork's resolution center.

13.1 Dispute Prevention

Before any formal dispute is filed, the CEO and contractor must attempt direct resolution via a live call (recorded by Otter AI) or written exchange. The CEO will issue a written summary of the dispute and proposed resolution. The contractor has 48 hours to respond.

13.2 Grounds for Dispute — Virely LLC May File

13.3 Grounds for Dispute — Contractor Rights

• CEO fails to review a submitted milestone within 5 business days without communication.
• A milestone is rejected without specific, documented reasons.
• Contract terminated after full delivery of an approved milestone without payment.
• CEO requests work that materially expands scope without agreement on compensation.

13.4 Resolution Process

1. Direct resolution attempt — 48-hour window.
2. If unresolved, either party may escalate to Upwork's dispute resolution center.
3. Virely LLC responds to all Upwork dispute notices within 3 business days with documentation.
4. All Upwork messages, Slack exports, Jira history, Otter AI transcripts, and deliverable files are preserved and submitted as evidence.
5. Upwork arbitration outcomes are binding per Upwork Terms of Service.

13.5 Confidentiality & IP

• All work product is work-for-hire. IP transfers to Virely LLC upon payment.
• Contractors may not reuse, resell, or repurpose Virely LLC platform code in other projects.
• Contractors must retain no copies of Virely LLC platform files after contract termination.
• No portfolio references without written CEO approval.

14.1 Performance Metrics

14.2 Industry Benchmark Performance Standards

Virely LLC benchmarks contractor performance against industry-standard completion times for comparable software development tasks. These benchmarks are derived from Upwork industry data, agile development standards, and historical Dealsby platform build velocity. When a contractor's actual timeline materially exceeds the benchmark, corrective action is required.

14.3 Corrective Action Process for Benchmark Overruns

When a contractor's actual timeline reaches or exceeds the Warning Threshold for a given task type, the following corrective action process is triggered automatically:

14.4 CEO Review Requirements for Benchmark Overruns

In addition to the corrective action process, the CEO conducts a formal performance review when any of the following benchmark-related conditions occur:

• Any single task reaches Critical Threshold with no prior Warning Stage communication from the contractor.
• Three or more tasks in a 60-day period reach Warning Threshold or beyond.
• A full platform build or multi-feature module exceeds its Warning Threshold without a documented, CEO-approved reason.
• The cumulative time on all active tasks exceeds 125% of total benchmark hours in any 30-day period.

The CEO review produces one of three outcomes: (1) documented acknowledgment that the overrun was caused by external factors (platform complexity, CEO-initiated scope changes, approved blockers) — no contractor action required; (2) issuance of a Performance Improvement Plan (Section 26); or (3) contract termination.

14.5 Contract Termination

15.1 Access & Credentials

The CEO is the sole authority for provisioning, managing, and revoking access to all Virely LLC technology platforms. The full list of platforms that may be provisioned is defined at contract onboarding (see Section 3.4). Access is scoped to the minimum necessary for the assigned tasks.

• Contractors receive staging/development environment access only. No production access without explicit CEO written approval.
• Credentials are communicated via secure methods only — never via Slack, Upwork messages, or email in plain text. The CEO will use a secure credential-sharing method (e.g., 1Password share link, encrypted message) for all access provisioning.
• Contractors must never share platform credentials, API keys, tokens, access links, or login information with any individual or party who has not been explicitly approved by the CEO to work on Virely LLC technology platforms and assets. This prohibition is absolute — it applies to teammates, subcontractors, family members, AI tools, and any other party regardless of claimed relationship to the project.
• All platform access is revoked within 1 business day of the contract end date, regardless of whether the contract ended by completion, mutual agreement, or termination. The CEO initiates revocation; contractors must not attempt to retain access past the contract end date.
• Contractors must notify the CEO immediately via #dev-conversations [SECURITY] if they believe any credentials have been compromised, shared accidentally, or accessed by an unauthorized party.

15.2 Data Handling

• Contractors must not download or retain any user data, customer records, or platform analytics beyond what is necessary for the assigned task.
• Any data observed during testing must be treated as confidential.
• Suspected security vulnerabilities must be reported immediately via #dev-conversations [SECURITY] tagging @CEO.

15.3 Code Security Standards

• No API keys, credentials, tokens, or passwords may be hardcoded in any delivered file.
• No third-party libraries or dependencies may be added without CEO written approval.
• All delivered code must be free of console.log statements that expose sensitive data.
• Contractors must not introduce external CDN dependencies that have not been pre-approved.

16.1 Minimum Qualifications

16.2 NDA Requirement

• NDA executed outside Upwork via DocuSign or equivalent before any file sharing.
• Covers all Virely LLC and Dealsby platform code, architecture, pricing, customer data, and business strategy.
• Term: 3 years from signing, surviving contract termination.
• Must be countersigned by CEO before contractor is considered onboarded.
• Failure to execute within 48 hours of offer acceptance results in offer withdrawal.

16.3 Trial Task Policy

• For engagements above $500 or involving core platform logic, a paid trial task may be required ($50–$150).
• Trial task evaluated against the standard testing checklist (Section 8).
• Failed trial task does not obligate Virely LLC to extend a full contract.
• Trial task work product becomes Virely LLC property upon payment.

17.1 What Constitutes a Scope Change

Any addition, removal, or material modification to a task or milestone not defined in the original Jira ticket. Includes: new features, changed technical approach, expanded testing requirements, new platforms or industries affected, or any change requiring 10%+ additional time. All such modifications are classified as project scope changes regardless of how they arise.

17.2 Mutual Agreement Requirement

All project scope changes and modifications require the explicit written agreement of both the developer and the CEO before any work on the changed scope may begin. Neither party acting alone — including the CEO — can unilaterally impose a scope change that affects the contractor's time, cost, or deliverables without the other party's documented acknowledgment and agreement.

17.3 Change Order Process

1. Either party identifies a scope change and raises it in [QUESTION] or [FYI] in #dev-conversations and comments it in the relevant Jira ticket.
2. The requesting party documents in writing: (a) what is changing, (b) why it is changing, (c) estimated time/cost impact, (d) impact on current milestone deadline.
3. CEO reviews and responds in writing within 2 business days.
4. If the CEO approves: CEO issues a written Change Order confirmation in Upwork messages and creates an amended Jira ticket or new Task ID. The contractor must then explicitly acknowledge and accept the Change Order in writing before proceeding. Work on changed scope may not begin until both written approval (CEO) and written acknowledgment (contractor) are on record.
5. If the CEO denies: Original scope stands. Contractor proceeds with original task only.
6. If the contractor declines the change: Contractor must explain in writing why the change is not feasible or acceptable. CEO may accept the explanation, modify the change, or escalate to a formal scope negotiation.
7. No verbal approvals of any kind. Otter AI meeting transcripts capture context but do not constitute binding Change Order approval without written follow-up confirmation.

17.4 Cost Absorption for Scope Changes

17.5 Scope Freeze Policy

Once a milestone is in the submission/review phase, no new scope may be added to that milestone by either party. Any additional requirements identified during review will be documented and issued as a new Jira ticket on the next milestone, following the full Change Order process.

18.1 Delivery Format

• All deliverables submitted as named working copies — never overwrites of production-stable files.
• Files named per versioning convention (Section 3.2).
• Single-file deliverables: all CSS, JavaScript, and HTML in one file unless CEO explicitly approves multi-file architecture.

18.2 Git / Repository Policy

18.3 Production-Stable Baseline Protection

• Always work from a named working copy — never modify the production-stable file directly.
• If a contractor delivers a file that irreversibly corrupts the production-stable baseline, the contractor is liable for reconstruction time at no additional charge and the incident is grounds for immediate termination.

Subcontracting is prohibited by default. Work must be performed by the contracted individual. Any exception requires 5 business days written advance notice, CEO written approval, and the subcontractor must execute the same NDA. The primary contractor remains fully responsible for all subcontracted work.

All work product created under Virely LLC Upwork engagements is work-for-hire. Upon payment for any milestone, all IP rights transfer to and vest exclusively in Virely LLC. This covers all source code, design assets, documentation, and ideas conceived during the engagement.

• Contractors may not withhold, delete, or encrypt any deliverable as leverage in a payment dispute — doing so constitutes a material breach.
• Contractors must disclose all OSS components; GPL-licensed code requires explicit CEO written approval before inclusion.
• Contractors may not use Virely LLC platform code, screenshots, or descriptions in public portfolios without written CEO approval.

22.1 Rate Setting

22.2 Upwork Billing Acknowledgment

• Hourly: Upwork bills weekly (Monday–Sunday). Hours subject to Upwork hourly protection policy.
• Fixed-price: Milestones funded in escrow at milestone creation. Payment released on CEO approval only.
• Contractors must not pressure the CEO to release milestone payments before review is complete.
• Virely LLC will fund milestone escrow within 2 business days of milestone creation.

22.3 Expense Policy

Virely LLC does not reimburse contractor expenses unless explicitly pre-approved in writing by the CEO before the expense is incurred. Pre-approved expenses are submitted with receipts and processed as a bonus payment. Contractors must not purchase software licenses, cloud services, or tools on Virely LLC's behalf without written CEO pre-approval.

23.1 Issue Severity Classification

23.2 Response Time Requirements by Severity

23.3 Hotfix Protocol

• Submit a named hotfix file (e.g., Platform_V2_Build2_3_Hotfix_DSBY-052.html) with focused fix only — no bundled features or refactors.
• CEO targets same-day review for SEV-1. Hotfix reviewed against the specific broken behavior only.
• Post-hotfix: contractor must document root cause and submit a full regression test within 2 business days.

24.1 Browser & OS Requirements

25.1 Competitor Prohibition

For the duration of any active engagement with Virely LLC, contractors may not work for any direct competitor (reservation management, appointment scheduling, or referral marketing SaaS for small businesses), build any platform substantially similar to any Dealsby product, or repurpose knowledge from Virely LLC in competitor work.

25.2 Disclosure Requirements

Contractors must disclose before contract start any prior professional relationship with a Virely LLC competitor, any Virely LLC or Dealsby client, or any individual previously employed or contracted with Virely LLC. Failure to disclose is grounds for immediate termination.

25.3 Moonlighting Policy

Concurrent Upwork engagements are permitted provided they do not constitute a conflict of interest and do not reduce the contractor's availability to meet this SOP's requirements. The CEO must be notified of any new major concurrent engagement taken on during an active Virely LLC contract.

26.1 PIP Triggers

• Two milestones rejected in a 30-day period.
• Three or more communication SLA failures in a 30-day period.
• Two consecutive missed standup calls without documented notice.
• Three or more late Jira task deliveries in a 30-day period.
• Repeated time log non-compliance on 3+ entries in a week.

26.2 PIP Process

1. CEO issues written PIP via Upwork message identifying specific issues, required standard, improvement targets, review period (typically 14 days), and consequences.
2. Contractor must acknowledge in writing within 24 hours.
3. Daily async check-ins via #dev-conversations during PIP period.
4. CEO evaluates performance at period end; closes PIP if targets met or proceeds to termination.

Contractors' liability to Virely LLC for any single incident arising from their work is limited to the total amount paid under the relevant contract. This limitation does not apply to willful misconduct, fraud, breach of confidentiality or NDA obligations, IP infringement caused by contractor's unauthorized use of third-party code, or data breaches caused directly by contractor's negligence or misconduct.

Contractors agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Virely LLC, its officers, directors, and affiliates from and against any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: contractor's breach of any obligation under this SOP, contractor's infringement of any third-party intellectual property rights, or any negligent or wrongful act or omission by the contractor in the performance of contracted work.

28.1 No Promise of Future Contract Opportunities

Virely LLC makes no representations, guarantees, or promises regarding future contract opportunities, renewals, or continued engagement beyond the current active contract. The awarding of any future work is solely at the discretion of the CEO. No coordinator, lead developer, or other associate has authority to commit to future work on behalf of Virely LLC.

28.2 Peer Solicitation Policy

Contractors may not solicit other Virely LLC contractors or associates for any purpose — referrals, side projects, partnerships, or competitive work — without explicit written CEO authorization. Exception: the CEO may expressly request a referral; only CEO-initiated referrals are permitted.

28.3 Outside Vendor Solicitation Prohibition

Contractors must not solicit or facilitate solicitation by outside vendors seeking to introduce products or services to Virely LLC unless the CEO has specifically requested such an introduction. Contractors who receive unsolicited vendor proposals directed at Virely LLC must disclose them to the CEO rather than acting as an intermediary. Any arrangement in which the contractor would receive a commission, referral fee, or benefit for introducing a vendor to Virely LLC is strictly prohibited.

28.4 No Solicitation of Reviews or Ratings

Contractors are strictly prohibited from soliciting, requesting, or encouraging the CEO or any Virely LLC associate to leave a 5-star review, positive rating, or any public endorsement on Upwork or any other platform — at any time during or after the engagement.

This SOP takes effect upon contractor eSign execution and Upwork message acknowledgment. The eSign PDF (see Section 3.3) is the binding record of agreement. The Upwork message below is a secondary confirmation. Both are required before project commencement.

29.1 Upwork Message Acknowledgment

Contractors must confirm acceptance via Upwork message using the following language:

Review and agreement to the terms and conditions set forth in this Contractor Developer Engagement SOP is a mandatory condition of hiring and continued engagement for all developers working on Virely LLC marketing technology properties, including all platforms within the Dealsby product family (Dealsby Reservations, Dealsby Appointments, Dealsby Referrals), Virely Ops / SuperAdmin Dashboard (FlowForge), Virely Nexus, Virely Books, and any other current or future Virely LLC technology properties.

30.1 Agreement as a Condition of Hire

No developer may be hired, onboarded, or granted access to any Virely LLC technology platform without first:

1. Reading this SOP in its entirety — all sections, policies, and requirements.
2. Executing the eSign PDF copy of this SOP (see Section 3.3) prior to any project commencement.
3. Submitting a written acknowledgment via the applicable engagement platform (Upwork or otherwise) confirming full understanding and agreement (see Section 29).
4. Confirming, by proceeding with any assigned work, that they have understood and agree to be bound by every provision of this SOP without reservation.

30.2 Agreement as a Condition of Continued Access

Agreement to this SOP is not a one-time formality — it is a continuous condition of engagement. A contractor who is found to have violated any provision of this SOP, regardless of whether they recall agreeing to that provision, remains bound by its terms for the duration of their engagement and applicable post-engagement obligations (confidentiality, IP assignment, offboarding).

• If this SOP is revised during an active engagement, the contractor will be notified and provided a revised eSign PDF. Continued work after notification constitutes acknowledgment of the updated terms.
• Questions about any provision of this SOP must be raised via #dev-conversations before commencing work — not after a violation has been identified.
• Claiming ignorance of a specific provision is not a defense against its enforcement.

30.3 Scope of Properties Covered

This SOP and the agreement to its terms covers all work performed on or for the following Virely LLC marketing technology properties:

Upon the conclusion, expiration, or termination of any engagement with Virely LLC — for any reason — contractors remain subject to the following obligations, which take effect immediately upon contract end and survive indefinitely unless otherwise specified.

31.1 Deletion of Platform Files

Contractors must permanently delete all Virely LLC platform files, source code, documentation, assets, database exports, staging data, and any other materials produced during or obtained through the engagement from all personal devices, external drives, and cloud storage accounts (including but not limited to Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive, GitHub personal repositories, and any other storage medium) within 48 hours of contract end.

• This obligation applies to all file types: .html, .js, .json, .csv, .pdf, .docx, design assets, screenshots, and any derivative works.
• Contractors must not retain copies of any Virely LLC codebase, platform build, or proprietary documentation for any purpose — including personal reference, portfolio use, or future learning — without explicit written CEO authorization.
• If requested by the CEO, the contractor must provide a written confirmation of deletion within 5 business days of the request.

31.2 Portfolio Reference Policy

Contractors may not reference, display, publish, or otherwise disclose any work performed for Virely LLC — including platform features, screenshots, code samples, UI designs, or project descriptions — in any portfolio, resume, LinkedIn profile, freelance platform profile, case study, blog post, social media post, conference presentation, or public communication without obtaining prior written approval from the CEO.

• Requests for portfolio approval must be submitted in writing to the CEO, identifying the specific work to be referenced, the medium or platform of publication, and the intended audience.
• The CEO may approve, deny, or conditionally approve portfolio references at sole discretion. Approved references may be subject to review and content restrictions.
• Generic statements such as "Worked on a SaaS platform for a marketing technology company" that do not identify Virely LLC, Dealsby, or any specific platform or feature by name may be used without approval, provided no proprietary information, screenshots, or code is disclosed.

31.3 IP Assignment Survival

All intellectual property assignment obligations set forth in Section 20 of this SOP survive the termination or expiration of any contractor engagement with Virely LLC indefinitely and without limitation. This includes, but is not limited to:

• All source code, scripts, modules, functions, algorithms, and technical implementations produced during the engagement.
• All designs, wireframes, mockups, UI/UX assets, and visual deliverables.
• All documentation, specifications, SOPs, API definitions, and written materials produced for or on behalf of Virely LLC.
• All derivative works, improvements, modifications, or extensions of any Virely LLC platform or codebase.

Contractors retain no ownership, license, or claim to any work product created under this engagement, and the cessation of the engagement does not alter, limit, or extinguish Virely LLC's sole and exclusive ownership of all such work product.

This record must be completed by the CEO upon contractor onboarding and retained as part of the engagement file alongside the executed eSign PDF.