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Paula's Maternity Leave - Council Decision Doc

Understanding the Landscape + Recommended Approach

Purpose: Educate Jedi Council on Filipino contractor norms and decide ZTAG's approach
Date: February 17, 2026
Status: For Council Discussion

1. PAULA'S SITUATION

Background:

Question for Council:

How should ZTAG support Paula during her leave while respecting contractor norms and avoiding legal complexity?

2. FILIPINO CONTRACTOR MARKET NORMS

What's Standard (Job Board → Wise Model)

Typical expectations for PH contractors hired by US companies:

Why: They're hired as self-employed contractors. It's Upwork-style work-for-pay arrangement. No work = no pay is the cultural norm.

Philippine Social Safety Net (SSS)

Paula can claim government benefits IF she's registered:

Reality: Many Filipino contractors don't maintain SSS (it's optional for self-employed, costs ~₱240/week). Paula may not be covered.

3. THREE APPROACH OPTIONS

Option 1: Pure Contractor (Market Norm)

What we say:

"Paula, congrats on the baby! Take the time you need (12-16 weeks). We'll have work for you when you're ready to return. No pressure."

Cost: $0
Cultural fit: Standard market practice
Message: "We value you, we'll be here when you return"
Legal risk: Zero (standard contractor relationship)

Pros:

Cons:

Option 2: Simple Goodwill Gift (RECOMMENDED)

What we say:

"Paula, congrats on the baby! Take 12-16 weeks to focus on recovery and your newborn. We're sending you $600 ($200/month for 3 months) as a postpartum gift to help during this time. Work will be here when you're ready to return—part-time or full-time, your choice."

Cost: $600 total
Cultural fit: Above market, shows genuine care
Message: "We see you as a human, not just labor"
Legal risk: Minimal (it's a gift, not wage continuation)

How it works:

Pros:

Cons:

Option 3: Structured Policy (Complex)

What we say:

"Paula, we have a formal maternity policy. You'll receive a $600 Postpartum Support Grant IF you file SSS maternity benefits as a self-employed member. Here's a 15-page policy doc explaining the process."

Cost: $600 + admin overhead
Cultural fit: Unusual (feels corporate/formal)
Message: "We care, but with bureaucratic strings attached"
Legal risk: Higher (conditions create employer-like oversight)

Pros:

Cons:

4. RECOMMENDED APPROACH: OPTION 2

Why Option 2 hits the sweet spot:

  1. Human > Transactional: Shows we care without being clinical
  2. Simple > Complex: No SSS tracking, no conditions, no admin burden
  3. Generous > Market: $600 is way above standard (which is $0)
  4. Legally clean: Gift ≠ wage continuation (preserves contractor status)
  5. Culturally appropriate: Bonuses/gifts are normal; formal policies are not

Implementation (If Council Approves)

Step 1: Tell Paula (Week of Feb 17)

Step 2: Set Up Wise Transfers

Step 3: Operational Coverage

Step 4: Return Flexibility

Total Council cost: $600 + Carmee support time
Total admin overhead: ~30 minutes (one conversation + three Wise transfers)

5. WHAT ABOUT SSS?

Should we help Paula file for SSS benefits?

Answer: We can inform her, but not require it.

What to say:

"Paula, FYI: The Philippine government offers maternity benefits through SSS if you're registered as a self-employed member. You might qualify for ~₱11,000-15,000 if you've paid contributions. We're not tracking this, but wanted you to know it exists. Here's the website: [sss.gov.ph]"

Why this approach:

If Paula asks "Can you help me file?"

6. TRANSITION PLAN (WEEKS BEFORE LEAVE)

Timeline

When Owner Action
Feb 17-24 Quan/Kristin Tell Paula about $600 gift + leave plan
6 weeks before April Paula + Carmee Design handoff (active projects transferred)
4 weeks before April Paula Pre-queue 4 weeks of social media content
2 weeks before April Council Confirm Carmee support plan (Tue/Thu sprints)
1 week before April Quan Verify Wise account works, schedule 3 transfers

Coverage During Leave

Design Work:

Social Media:

Principle: Better to go slower and preserve team health than rush and create burnout.

7. RETURN-TO-WORK FLEXIBILITY

Paula's options after 12-16 weeks:

Option A: Full Contractor Hours

Option B: Part-Time Return (Recommended)

ZTAG commitment:

"We intend to offer you comparable project work when you return, subject to business needs. Part-time is fine for as long as you need."

Not a guarantee: Standard contractor language (no job protection obligation), but sincere intent.

8. KEY COUNCIL PRINCIPLES

This decision aligns with Council values:

  1. ✅ Take care of the human — $600 gift shows we value Paula
  2. ✅ Preserve continuity — Carmee + Council support ensures no dropped balls
  3. ✅ Reduce Charlie load — Charlie not involved (Quan handles, Kristin supports)
  4. ✅ Don't overload Carmee — Jedi Council support, freelance backup if needed
  5. ✅ Keep pivots bounded — $600 is fixed, not open-ended

Loss function check:

Net assessment: This is aligned. Execute.

9. WHAT IF PAULA ASKS FOR MORE?

Scenario: Paula says "$600 isn't enough, I need more support."

Response:

"We understand raising a newborn is expensive. The $600 is what we can offer as a contractor support gift. If you need additional financial support, SSS maternity benefits might help (₱11k-15k if you're registered). We're also flexible on your return timeline—take 16 weeks instead of 12 if needed."

Boundary: $600 is the gift. We don't negotiate or "gap-fill" beyond that.

Why:

10. WHAT IF OTHER TEAM MEMBERS GET PREGNANT?

Apply the same framework:

For contractors (Carmee, Klansys, etc.):

For future employees (if status changes):

Precedent: This sets a generous-but-bounded standard for contractor support.

11. COUNCIL DECISION CHECKLIST

For Council to discuss:

If approved:

If modified:

12. COST SUMMARY

Item Cost Notes
Postpartum gift $600 $200/mo × 3 months
Carmee overtime ~$200-500 Extra design work (if needed)
Freelance design backup $0-1,000 Only if Carmee overwhelmed
Jedi Council time Included Tue/Thu sprints (existing commitment)
Admin overhead ~30 min One conversation + Wise setup
TOTAL COST ~$600-2,100 Depends on whether we need freelance help

Comparison to formal employee maternity policy: $10k-20k (wage continuation + SSS employer costs)

ROI: Team retention + goodwill + cultural signal ("ZTAG takes care of people") = worth way more than $600

13. NEXT STEPS (IF APPROVED)

Week of Feb 17:

  1. Council discusses and approves (this meeting)
  2. Quan or Kristin tells Paula (1-on-1 conversation)
  3. Paula confirms leave start date (~April)

Week of Feb 24:
4. Schedule 3 Wise transfers (April, May, June)
5. Paula + Carmee begin design handoff
6. Council confirms Carmee support plan

Week of Mar 1:
7. Paula queues 4 weeks of social content
8. Freelance design backup identified (if needed)

Week of Apr 1:
9. Paula's leave begins
10. First $200 gift transfer sent
11. Carmee takes full design ownership

Week of Jun 12-16:
12. Paula returns (part-time or full-time, her choice)
13. Final $200 gift transfer sent (June)
14. Transition complete

14. SUMMARY

Recommended approach: $600 postpartum gift, no conditions, generous return flexibility

Why it works:

Council decision: Approve, modify, or discuss?

Prepared by: Minnie (Team & Culture Domain)
For: Jedi Council (Quan, Charlie, Steven, Kristin)
Date: February 17, 2026
Status: Ready for Council Discussion

APPENDIX: If Council Wants More Background

Full context on Filipino contractor market:

Legal framework (RA 11210, SSS):

Keep those for reference, but don't need to read them unless Council has specific questions.