About this episode

This episode discusses the differences between employee and independent contractor roles for doulas, featuring insights from Allison Coleman.

If you’re a doula working with an agency, or considering it, understanding whether you’re classified as an employee or an independent contractor isn’t just a technical detail… it directly impacts your pay, taxes, legal protections, and overall work experience. In this episode, I sit down with fellow doula agency owner, Allison Coleman, to break down the real differences between employee and contractor roles in the doula world. We go beyond surface-level definitions and dig into how these classifications actually show up in your day-to-day work. We talk about what control agencies can (and can’t) have, how compensation structures differ, what benefits or protections may apply, and some of the biggest misconceptions doulas have when entering agency work. Whether you’re brand new to agency life or have been working as a contractor for years, this episode will help you better advocate for yourself, ask the right questions, and make informed decisions about your role. Allison Coleman trained and worked in midwifery and as a birth doula for several years before finding her true home in postpartum doula work, where she gets to watch new families grow through those early weeks and…

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