When my wife had our third child it was rough.
She had spent 3 weeks on bed rest before having the baby. The doctor told us that was necessary.
What I didn’t expect was how rough it would be for her after she had the baby.
For 2 months my wife really struggled.
It was hard to get out of bed.
It was hard to make food.
It was hard to get up with the baby.
It was hard to take care of our other kids.
Everything was hard.
Fortunately, I worked from home and was there to fill in the gaps. I’ll always be thankful for that time. It’s what propelled me from working 40-50 hours/week to the 17 that I’ve worked since then (2008).
For your OFS…things might be different.
I asked one of my OFS about maternity leave. Here’s what she said:
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I recommend it. Here in the Philippines, employers are required to offer maternity and paternity leave. The maternity leave period is to one hundred and five (105) days for female workers with pay and an option to extend for an additional thirty (30) days without pay. Paternity leave is seven (7) days for the 1st four (4) children. If the worker is paying into the SSS (social security), the employer doesn’t actually have to pay salary during those leaves. SSS would cover it.
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Yes, that’s right. It’s a paid maternity leave, but the Philippines government pays it…
…IF they worker has been paying into SSS.
Most (all) should be paying SSS, so this should apply to your OFS.
Whether or not you give this maternity/paternity leave is up to you but I’d definitely recommend it. You’re not in the Philippines so Philippines law doesn’t bind you.
I understand how difficult it can be to go without someone you depend on. It’s terrible. Maybe when they’re pregnant would be a good time to hire someone else…double down on your outsourcing.
Just trying to make you aware of their customs.
John
The Outsourcing Lever will make you aware of a lot more of their customs. There are so many things I’ve learned over the years which will save you so much time and headache.