Two ways to take a break from an engagement. Different mechanics, different cost. Here is the difference.
Cancel
- Ends the engagement at the end of the current week.
- Engineer wraps Friday and gets paid in full for the week.
- No further billing.
- The engineer goes back to the matching pool. They might be available next week, they might not.
- If you cancel and re-book the same engineer later, it is a new engagement: new trial, new rate, no continuity.
Pause
- Holds the engineer's capacity for up to 4 weeks.
- Billed at 25% of the weekly rate during the pause to hold them. Senior tier (1,500 / week) pauses at $375 / week.
- The engineer must agree to the pause. Most do, but they can decline if they have other matches lined up.
- You can un-pause at any time, the engineer resumes the next Monday at full rate.
- If you do not un-pause within 4 weeks, the engagement converts to cancelled automatically.
Which to use
- Cancel if you genuinely do not need help for the next month or more, or if the work has wrapped.
- Pause if a deal is closing, a holiday is coming, or you are mid-pivot and you want this engineer when you are ready in 1 to 4 weeks.
Mid-week pause or cancel
Both take effect at week-end. We do not pro-rate mid-week, the engineer always finishes the week. If something is genuinely broken (no-show, conduct issue), see replacing an engineer or email trust@cadence.work.
Anything else, hello@cadence.work. Back to help center.