Job Put-Backs & Cancellations
Sometimes after claiming a job, circumstances change and you can no longer complete it. Pandora provides a put-back mechanism that returns the job to the marketplace for another worker to claim. While put-backs do carry a score penalty, they are always preferable to a no-show.
When to Put a Job Back
Put a job back when:
- You have a schedule conflict you cannot resolve
- A personal emergency prevents you from working
- You cannot obtain the required supplies
- Travel issues make it impossible to reach the job location
- Any other reason you cannot fulfill the commitment
Always put a job back rather than no-showing. A put-back carries a minor to moderate score penalty. A no-show carries a severe penalty that can trigger tier demotion.
How to Put a Job Back
- Open My Jobs in your portal
- Find the claimed job and tap it to view details
- Tap the "Put Back" button
- Select a reason from the dropdown:
- Schedule conflict
- Personal emergency
- Unable to get supplies
- Travel issue
- Other (requires explanation)
- Review the confirmation dialog, which includes a rating impact notice
- Tap "Confirm Put Back"
Once confirmed:
- The job is immediately returned to the marketplace
- The slot reopens and other eligible workers can claim it
- Your calendar entry for this job is removed
- Scheduled reminders are cancelled
- The posting organization is notified
On-Time vs Late Put-Backs
The timing of your put-back significantly affects the penalty:
On-Time Put-Back (more than 24 hours before job start)
- Score impact: Slight negative (-0.5 to -1.0 points)
- Streak impact: Your completion streak continues (not reset)
- Tier risk: Minimal — unlikely to trigger demotion on its own
This is the responsible choice when you know in advance that you cannot make it. The organization has time to find a replacement.
Late Put-Back (less than 24 hours before job start)
- Score impact: Moderate negative (-1.0 to -2.0 points)
- Streak impact: Your completion streak is reset to zero
- Tier risk: Moderate — can contribute to demotion, especially if combined with other negative events
- Warning banner: The put-back dialog shows a prominent warning: "Putting back a job within 24 hours of start time has a higher impact on your tier rating."
Late put-backs are penalized more heavily because the organization has less time to find a replacement, potentially leaving the job unfilled.
Impact on Multi-Person Jobs
When you put back a multi-person job, the payout dynamics change for the remaining workers:
- Remaining workers' share increases — Fewer people splitting the same pool means more per person
- The slot reopens — Other eligible workers can claim the re-opened slot
- If the slot is reclaimed — The per-person base goes back down
Example:
| Event | Workers | Base Per Person |
|---|---|---|
| 3 workers accepted | 3 | $133.33 |
| You put back | 2 | $200.00 (+$66.67 per remaining worker) |
| Slot reclaimed by new worker | 3 | $133.33 (back to original) |
Remaining workers are not individually notified of your put-back, but they see updated payout estimates on their My Jobs detail view.
Comparison: Put-Back vs No-Show
| Factor | On-Time Put-Back | Late Put-Back | No-Show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score impact | Slight negative | Moderate negative | Severe negative |
| Streak | Continues | Reset to zero | Reset to zero |
| Completion rate | Slight decrease | Slight decrease | Significant decrease |
| No-show penalty | None | None | Heavy (5x multiplier) |
| Slot reopens | Yes (immediately) | Yes (immediately) | No (lost) |
| Org notification | Yes (has time to plan) | Yes (limited time) | Yes (too late to plan) |
| Typical score change | -0.5 to -1.0 | -1.0 to -2.0 | -3.0 to -5.0 |
The takeaway: If you cannot complete a job, put it back as early as possible. Every hour counts.
Can You Re-Claim a Put-Back Job?
Yes. After putting a job back, it returns to the marketplace. If the slot is still available and you are still eligible, you can re-claim it through the normal claim process. However, the put-back penalty on your score remains — putting back and re-claiming does not undo the impact.
Put-Back Limits
There is no hard limit on how many times you can put back jobs. However, repeated put-backs accumulate in your score:
- Each put-back slightly decreases your completion rate (which has an 18% weight)
- The put-back penalty factor (3% weight) compounds with each put-back
- Late put-backs reset your streak, which can slow tier advancement
Workers who frequently put back jobs will see their score decline over time, potentially leading to tier demotion.
Important Reminders
- You can only put back a job before it starts. Once the scheduled start time has passed, the put-back option is no longer available. At that point, you must either complete the job or it is recorded as a no-show.
- Put-back records are permanent. They are stored in the audit trail and factored into your score indefinitely.
- The organization is always notified when you put back a job, along with the reason you provided.
On this page