All About Agency Work for Postpartum Doulas

There are so many ways to do this important work of supporting postpartum families! From being self-employed, to working with a community-based organization, to working for an agency, to teaching classes, there are many ways that you can create a path that works for YOU. The majority of doulas run solo practices, which means they work independently and handle their own scheduling, marketing, and communication, but not all doulas work alone.

We get it! As a doula trainer and the owner of a postpartum doula agency, there is so much we can say and share about agency work.

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All About Agency Work

Working for someone else and with a team of folks can be a great option for many doulas! It may be a good fit for newer doulas who are trying to gain experience or need the backing of someone else’s reputation. Likewise, it can be a great fill-in for experienced doulas who just want to do the direct care work and let someone else take care of the business aspects. Some doulas choose to work with an agency for their whole career because this model works best for their preferences and/or strengths.

Benefits of Working for an Agency:

• The agency brings in clients based on their reputation and marketing. You get to enjoy the benefit of their branding!

• All invoicing, billing, and payment processing will be facilitated and paid for by the agency.

• The agency tracks the hours worked and issues payment directly to you.

• You get to name your availability and decide what shifts you want to work; scheduling is sometimes coordinated by the agency.

• Any client-related issues will be handled with the support or mediation of the agency.

• There is a team of people to consult with and share ideas and resources with.

Things to Note about Working for an Agency:

• Most agencies will require you to sign an independent contractor (IC) contract*. This outlines what they do for you and what you do for them, protecting you both. ICs are not typically offered benefits.

• Often, agencies pay a bit less per hour than you could make on your own. (Note: taxes will be about the same regardless of whether you work for yourself or an agency as an IC.)

• When you work for an agency, you are representing the agency, and while you still get to do the direct care work in your own way, the client belongs to the agency and you can’t transition to freelance work with them.

• There may be team gatherings, text threads, or other ways to stay connected with the other agency doulas. This can provide support, friendship, and collaboration.

*If the agency you work with does not require you to sign a contract, you may consider asking about it! Regardless of a contract, it is important to have open communication about how you will work together and what the roles, limits, and boundaries of each party are.

Questions to Ask When Considering Working for an Agency:

• What is your pay rate? Remember, agencies charge more than they pay the doula, as this fee structure allows them to get paid for all of the behind-the-scenes work and investment!

• Do you require me to carry postpartum doula professional liability insurance? Does the company carry insurance that covers ICs?

• What kinds of things do you do to take care of the doulas who work with your team?

• How do you handle it if a client is not happy?

• Do you require a non-compete agreement? Do you allow agency doulas to also take on clients of their own and/or work with other agencies?

• How much work can I expect monthly? Will it be consistent?

• How much interaction will I have/get with other team members? Are there team slack channels, text threads, meet ups, etc.?

Other Doula Models to Know About:

• Partnership: Working alongside another doula offers the benefit of splitting on-call time, collaborating on client care, and sharing business administrative tasks. Plus, you have a built-in support system.

• Agency Employee: In this case, a doula works directly for an agency with assigned hours. They are W-4 employees, and the agency will handle taxes and potentially offer benefits. The agency is manages client flow, scheduling, and administrative tasks, and the doula is responsible for fulfilling their time and role commitments.

• Community-Based Doula Organizations: Some cities are lucky enough to have organizations that make doula services accessible to all. Doulas in these situations are often ICs who contract with the agency and get matched with clients based on their availability.

Exploring Agency Work

Have you considered agency work? We think this is a great way to serve your community. As a starting point, we suggest making a list of the agencies near you, exploring their websites, and reaching out to those you feel a resonance with.

*Photo credit: LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

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