No Rules, No Treasure

Tomorrow is Talk Like a Pirate Day. But real pirates had something even more interesting than just funny accents: they had workplace contracts.

In the 1600s and 1700s, many pirate crews made written agreements called articles. These set out how treasure would be shared, what happened if someone got hurt, and when someone could be kicked off the ship. Some crews even chose their captains and could vote them out.

Today, workers still negotiate many of the same things: pay, benefits, safety, and what happens when a boss breaks the rules.

Your Task:

You and four friends are starting a company. Before anyone starts working, you all need to agree on the rules.

Create your company’s contract by answering these three questions:

1. The Pay:

   Should all five people earn the same amount, or should some earn more? Why?

2. The Protection:

   If one team member is injured and can't work for a month, should they still receive payment? Explain your rule.

3. The Mutiny:

   Your founder starts secretly taking extra money. Write a rule explaining what the team can do about it.

Write just one or two sentences for each rule.