Dispute Resolution

Disputes arise when there is a disagreement about a job outcome — whether the work was completed, whether the worker was on time, or whether the quality met expectations. Pandora provides a structured dispute resolution process to handle these situations fairly.

When Disputes Occur

Common dispute scenarios include:

Scenario	Initiated By	Description
Unfair completion marking	Worker	Worker believes the org incorrectly marked the job or provided an unfair rating
No-show dispute	Worker	Worker claims they showed up but were marked as a no-show
Quality disagreement	Organization	Org believes work was substandard but worker marked all tasks as complete
Payout discrepancy	Worker	Worker disagrees with the calculated payout amount
Late marking dispute	Worker	Worker believes they completed on time but the system recorded it as late

The Dispute Process

Step 1: Filing a Dispute

Either the worker or the organization can file a dispute from the job detail view. The dispute form requires:

• Dispute type — Select the category of disagreement
• Description — Detailed explanation of the issue
• Evidence — Optional photos, screenshots, or documentation

Step 2: Review

Platform administrators review the dispute by examining:

• The job posting details and requirements
• The claim record (times, status changes)
• The completion record (on-time vs late, rating)
• Score event history for the worker
• Any evidence submitted by both parties
• Audit trail entries for the job

Step 3: Resolution

The administrator makes a determination and takes corrective action:

Resolution	Action
In worker's favor	Score may be adjusted via manual override; payout corrected if needed
In organization's favor	Original outcome stands; no changes
Split decision	Partial adjustment — e.g., late changed to on-time but rating stands

Step 4: Notification

Both parties are notified of the resolution with an explanation. The resolution is final.

Manual Tier Override

When a dispute is resolved in the worker's favor and their tier was affected by the disputed outcome, platform administrators can manually override the worker's tier:

1. Navigate to the worker's profile in the admin dashboard
2. Click the tier override button (visible only with pandora.admin.override permission)
3. Select the corrected tier level
4. Add a note explaining the override reason
5. Confirm — a new score event is created with eventType "manual_override"

Important notes about overrides:

• Manual overrides are logged in the audit trail with full attribution
• The override creates a NEW score event — it does not delete or modify existing events
• The worker's score is not changed by a manual override — only their tier assignment
• Subsequent recalculations may move the worker to a different tier if their score does not support the overridden tier

Payout Corrections

If a dispute results in a payout adjustment:

• Underpayment — A supplemental payout is issued for the difference
• Overpayment — A negative payout item is created for reconciliation
• All payout adjustments are linked to the original claim for audit purposes
• Payout corrections follow the standard payment processing timeline

Score History

All score events are append-only. When a dispute results in a correction:

• The original score event remains in the record (it is never deleted)
• A new corrective event is added with the adjusted values
• The audit trail shows the complete history including the dispute and its resolution

This ensures full transparency and accountability in the scoring system.

Prevention

To minimize disputes:

For organizations:

• Mark completions promptly after the work is done
• Provide clear job descriptions with specific requirements
• Rate workers fairly based on the work actually performed
• Communicate issues during the job rather than only at completion

For workers:

• Confirm arrival promptly when you reach the job site
• Document your work (photos before and after)
• Communicate with the organization if you encounter issues
• Complete all tasks as described in the job posting

Dispute Limits

There is no limit on the number of disputes either party can file. However, the system tracks dispute frequency, and patterns of frivolous disputes may be flagged for review.