Frequently asked questions

Quick answers

How does Office Hours work?
Office Hours is a knowledge-sharing platform that connects clients with advisors in specific expertise areas. Clients search for and book 30 to 60-minute calls with advisors who have the expertise and perspectives they need. Scheduling, compliance, and payment are all managed on the platform. Calls can be joined via videoconference or via phone.: Who are Office Hours' clients?
At this stage, we are primarily focused on clients in the healthcare and technology sectors. Our clients include VC and PE investors, founders, product managers, and operators from startups and Fortune 500 companies, who all share one thing in common - the need for expert perspective to inform strategic decision-making.: Who are Office Hours' advisors?
Office Hours advisors are industry and healthcare professionals who have deep expertise across a range of subject areas, roles, and technologies. This includes key decision makers evaluating and purchasing software for their companies, prescribing physicians and key opinion leaders in the healthcare space, and experts across industries like cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, logistics, and design.

How it works

Are there any fees for joining Office Hours?
Joining the Office Hours platform is completely free. For some calls, there is a 5% platform fee and a 2.9% payment processing fee deducted from the rate (which you get to set).: How do I get matched to consulting opportunities?
Once you create your Office Hours profile, clients can search for and request a call with you based on your knowledge areas, career history, and roles. For the best chance of getting matched to opportunities, make sure your work history is up to date and add knowledge tags that encompass the full range of tools, technologies, and specialties that you have experience with. Check out this blog post for more tips on optimizing your profile.: How can I sign up as an advisor?
Thank you for your interest in working with Office Hours! You can join the waitlist via the “Sign up” button on our homepage. While you are waiting, here are a couple of tips from our team: We are more likely to reach out to people who have up-to-date and detailed profiles on job networking sites. It is recommended to include any specific experience you have with particular products, softwares, etc. If we do reach out, prompt responses are appreciated! Projects are often time-dependent and clients are hoping to connect within 24 hours.: How do I log in?
If you are already an advisor with Office Hours, please click the “Log in” button from our homepage.: Why was I contacted?
If you have received outreach from the Office Hours team, we believe that you may be a good fit for a client call due to your professional history and experience. Office Hours hosts a range of clients who are looking for expertise across a variety of job titles and fields. The Client Solutions Team identified you using online social platforms such as LinkedIn and/or via referrals from past calls.: If I join, am I limited to only doing consultations with Office Hours?
No. Office Hours’ mission is to help everyone realize the true value of what they know. That is why we have built the best experience for advisors among all knowledge-sharing platforms. While we believe advisors will prefer working with Office Hours, we do not prohibit advisors from participating on other networks once they join Office Hours.

Consultations

How do consultations work?
Consultations are 30-60 minute phone calls about a particular topic. When a client requests a call with you, we'll send you an email with booking information and proposed times. If you decide to accept, we'll email you a calendar invite with details for joining the call via video or phone. When complete, we'll process your payment to the method of your choice.: Who will I be consulting with?
Office Hours clients are generally professionals in the healthcare and technology sectors. Our partners include VC and PE investors, pharmaceutical companies, Fortune 500 firms, and startups who need specialized expertise to inform product development and decision-making. When a call is requested with you, you'll receive an email with the booking details, including the name and company of the client making the request.: Do I need to prepare anything in advance?
Calls generally do not require any advance preparation, as questions are typically based around your experience and perspectives. In some cases, the client may send a pre-reading or share slides during the call for review.: What happens if my call is canceled or rescheduled?
You will receive notifications to your designated email regarding any cancelations or reschedules. Please reach out to our team if you have any questions.

Payment

Do I set my own rate?
With Office Hours, you get to set your own rate. Clients will set a call length prior to booking with you and your payout will be prorated based on time elapsed. Check our blog for some best practices!: How do I get paid?
You have the option to be paid via PayPal, secure bank transfer, or a donation to any 501(c)3 charity of your choice. Once you complete a call, we'll immediately process your payment. Within a day or two, you'll receive an email from PayPal or Stripe confirming your payment is en route. If you have any issues with your payment, you can email support@officehours.com for prompt support.: If I'm based in a country other than the United States, how do I get paid?
We highly recommend that you use Stripe — you do not need to have a pre-existing account, and there is no requirement that you be based in the US or be a US citizen. All you need to do is: 1. Log into Office Hours 2. Click here: https://officehours.com/settings/payment/payout-methods 3. Click "Connect with Stripe", and follow the prompts (selecting UAE as your country) There are many benefits to using this process vs. international wire transfer, including faster payouts and notifications when payouts are issued. If you have any questions or run into any issues with this process, please reach out.: How long does it take to get paid?
Paypal payments are paid out within 3-4 hours and direct deposits in 2-3 days. International wire transfers can take up to a week.: Do I need to deal with taxes?
Talk to your accountant to see what is relevant based on your personal situation. We send 1099’s to all relevant advisors who are U.S. citizens who earn $600 or more during each calendar year. We will need your W9 to issue you a 1099. If relevant, we will reach out and ask you to send us your W9 as we process our tax forms.: How does the charity donation feature work?
When you join Office Hours, you can double your impact: share your expertise and donate a portion of your earnings to causes you care about most. This is powered by our integration with ShoppingGives, the leading social impact commerce platform and certified B Corp. When you set up your payment method, select Charity Donation and then choose the recipient organization and amount. Then add Paypal or Stripe for your personal payment. We'll process the donation and your payment after each call.: What is Stripe?
We use Stripe to handle our KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) checks in compliance with federal law in order to process your payments. We do not store any of this information and only use it for compliance checks.
No one at Office Hours will ever have access to this information.
Stripe requires customers to provide their SSN and personal information for identity verification and regulatory compliance purposes. The company stores this information securely using industry-standard encryption methods and limits access to authorized personnel only. As a multinational corporation, Stripe handles a vast amount of payment transactions, amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars each year. The company's clientele includes major corporations, and Stripe ensures the highest levels of compliance with regards to data security and privacy. You can read more about Stripe's identity verification requirements here.

Privacy

I’m concerned about confidentiality. How do I ensure I am not putting myself at risk by participating?
Prior to conducting a call, we encourage you to proactively check existing employment agreements, NDAs, and other agreements you may have in place with third-parties, to ensure you're not in violation of any of your obligations. Office Hours also has strict rules that restrict our clients and advisors from asking for or sharing material, non-public information. You are always within your right to decline to answer questions that you feel are too sensitive to discuss.: Who can view my profile?
There are two profile discovery modes, which you can set from your profile page. Public: Setting your profile to public increases your profile's discoverability, maximizing your earning potential. Users of Office Hours can find your profile via search results, project recommendations, and SEO. This maximizes your earning potential. Private: Setting your profile to private will reduce your profile's discoverability. The only opportunities you will receive are concierge opportunities from the Office Hours team when working directly with one of our clients.

Compliance

What information can I share?
Interactions on Office Hours allow you to share your unique professional insights and subject-matter expertise. This could include your technical knowledge of a particular field or technology, your evaluation of several products in a new industry, or even your personal experiences in your profession.: What information can I not share?
You must take care to never share any information that is confidential or that you are prohibited from disclosing. This includes information that it is illegal to share, information that constitutes a protected secret, and information that is subject to non-disclosure obligations. What you share on a call must always be in compliance with any confidentiality agreements or other legal obligations you are subject to. Please be sure you are familiar any legal agreements or other continuing obligations you are subject to prior to participating.: What if I am asked a question that concerns confidential information or other information that I am prohibited from sharing?
Explain that you are unable to answer the question as it would cause you to reveal confidential information or violate a legal obligation your are subject to. You may also reframe your answer so that it does not include any confidential information, and explain that is the extent of what you may share. If you believe that the client you are speaking to is knowingly or continually soliciting confidential information from you, you should end the call and notify Office Hours compliance (compliance@officehours.com).: Can I talk about my consultations with others?
No. Any information regarding consultations — what is shared on the call and any information shared before or after a call — is confidential. Please do not share any information shared on the call, the client’s identity, subjects discussed, or any survey information from any Office Hours interactions you are a part of.: What is Material Non-Public Information (”MNPI”)?
Material Non-Public Information (“MNPI”) can be any information which: relates to a company or its sellable securities; is not known publicly; and a reasonable person would likely consider important in making an investment decision. Assessing what constitutes MNPI can be very complex, and the penalties for sharing MNPI can be extremely harsh. So you should always err on the side of caution and avoid sharing any information you are not sure about. Please read our MNPI agreement for more (advisors are subject to this agreement upon joining the platform).: The client requested me in incognito mode. What does that mean?
Some of our clients prefer to keep their identities private because they are evaluating a sensitive investment opportunity or their compliance department requires an added layer of anonymity to protect both parties from sharing sensitive information. In these cases, clients are legally unable to share their names, titles, or employers. This incognito feature is designed to increase security and is often standard in the financial services industry. If you receive a consultation request from an incognito client and you have any questions, please contact the Office Hours team.

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers

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