Au Pair Class action law suit - what does this mean for host families?

[Anonymous]

Regardless of the lawsuit, HFs pay the wages and may be liable for missing wages under FLSA. That’s what’s discouraging me from using the program again. I can hire a babysitter and pay even more than the minimum wage because I don’t have to pay the agency fee. But I can’t both pay the agency fee and pay minimum wage ($11.50 where I live) and all household expenses for the AP, and take them out to dinner, etc. That would make an AP way more expensive than a nanny but frankly much less qualified and also unable to do the housework that nannies can do.

This exactly.

I was an aupair in a foreign country, I'm American. My friend was hired with the agreement of overtime. The family then decided they didn't want to pay that anymore and hired a cheap aupair. Sorry folks, the cheap 'cultural exchange' days are numbered!

Not following your logic. Another downside to the AP program is that we can't use overtime...even if we pay...it is against the program rules. For example, I use 20-25 hours per week. One time in four years of being in the program I need one night of overnight childcare. AP can't do it because exceeds her 10 hour shift. While the split shift is flexible, it is by far from cheap (for those of us using <30 hours per week).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pp again- Forgot to add my nanny friend just got replaced with a cheap South African au pair because she wanted legal things like overtime. Time to pay up, families!!

If you were an AP, how are you here now working as a nanny? Marry someone? If so, good for you, but those days are over if the program ends

[b]

I was an aupair in a foreign country, I'm American. My friend was hired with the agreement of overtime. The family then decided they didn't want to pay that anymore and hired a cheap aupair. Sorry folks, the cheap 'cultural exchange' days are numbered!

How many times do we need to go thru this.

Au pairs aren't cheap child care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pp again- Forgot to add my nanny friend just got replaced with a cheap South African au pair because she wanted legal things like overtime. Time to pay up, families!!

If you were an AP, how are you here now working as a nanny? Marry someone? If so, good for you, but those days are over if the program ends

[b]

I was an aupair in a foreign country, I'm American. My friend was hired with the agreement of overtime. The family then decided they didn't want to pay that anymore and hired a cheap aupair. Sorry folks, the cheap 'cultural exchange' days are numbered!

How much did you get paid in this foreign country? Most foreign countries don't have close the regulation we have, and almost everyone I know who has done it, says it was oppressive. Where were you?

[Anonymous]

IMHO, the agencies are the problem. 32 years ago when the legal AP programs started, the agencies charged families $2400/year for the same services they do now. APs got $100/week plus $300/education money each year. There was no distinction between regular APs and AP "extraordinaire" or "IQ." (All APs were allowed to care for newborn infants. If you look at APIA's current web page, you'll see they were marketing to families with newborns. Eventually there was a tragic "shaken baby" death, which led to changes in the rules. ) Many APs had nanny experience in other countries and/or formal child care education. If they didn't have enough experience, they were encouraged to get more by volunteering in a hospital or babysitting.

Now APs get roughly 200% (250% for the Extraordinaire) of the initial "pocket money" stipend and 167% of the initial education stipend. Today the agencies get about $9000($10000 for the "Extraordinaire") so about 375% - 416% of the 1986 amount. Furthermore, in the early days, APs who didn't find a good fit with the initial family were generally sent home, rather than allowed to shop around for a new family with less work, more perks, a better location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pp again- Forgot to add my nanny friend just got replaced with a cheap South African au pair because she wanted legal things like overtime. Time to pay up, families!!

If you were an AP, how are you here now working as a nanny? Marry someone? If so, good for you, but those days are over if the program ends

[b]

I was an aupair in a foreign country, I'm American. My friend was hired with the agreement of overtime. The family then decided they didn't want to pay that anymore and hired a cheap aupair. Sorry folks, the cheap 'cultural exchange' days are numbered!

How much did you get paid in this foreign country? Most foreign countries don't have close the regulation we have, and almost everyone I know who has done it, says it was oppressive. Where were you?

[b]

I was in Switzerland. Hardly oppressive! 200 CHF/week in Zurich. Then I worked in France for 150 Euros/week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IMHO, the agencies are the problem. 32 years ago when the legal AP programs started, the agencies charged families $2400/year for the same services they do now. APs got $100/week plus $300/education money each year. There was no distinction between regular APs and AP "extraordinaire" or "IQ." (All APs were allowed to care for newborn infants. If you look at APIA's current web page, you'll see they were marketing to families with newborns. Eventually there was a tragic "shaken baby" death, which led to changes in the rules. ) Many APs had nanny experience in other countries and/or formal child care education. If they didn't have enough experience, they were encouraged to get more by volunteering in a hospital or babysitting.

Now APs get roughly 200% (250% for the Extraordinaire) of the initial "pocket money" stipend and 167% of the initial education stipend. Today the agencies get about $9000($10000 for the "Extraordinaire") so about 375% - 416% of the 1986 amount. Furthermore, in the early days, APs who didn't find a good fit with the initial family were generally sent home, rather than allowed to shop around for a new family with less work, more perks, a better location.

Thank you for this very important data.

[Anonymous]

The problem of the Au Pair program are agencies because they dont have one clear version for participants and HP. Agencies for cultural exchange program? Agencies are mixing, destroying cooperation between HP and Au pairs. The way of thinking is my Au Pair should know this, this, that because the LCC informed that. As an Au Pair You only hear that You should give them a chance, wait a bit, be elastic, your LCC is a friend of the HP so the rematch will be difficult, you won't get a certificate that is useless btw. First good advice also for you Au pairs don't listen to the agency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMHO, the agencies are the problem. 32 years ago when the legal AP programs started, the agencies charged families $2400/year for the same services they do now. APs got $100/week plus $300/education money each year. There was no distinction between regular APs and AP "extraordinaire" or "IQ." (All APs were allowed to care for newborn infants. If you look at APIA's current web page, you'll see they were marketing to families with newborns. Eventually there was a tragic "shaken baby" death, which led to changes in the rules. ) Many APs had nanny experience in other countries and/or formal child care education. If they didn't have enough experience, they were encouraged to get more by volunteering in a hospital or babysitting.

Now APs get roughly 200% (250% for the Extraordinaire) of the initial "pocket money" stipend and 167% of the initial education stipend. Today the agencies get about $9000($10000 for the "Extraordinaire") so about 375% - 416% of the 1986 amount. Furthermore, in the early days, APs who didn't find a good fit with the initial family were generally sent home, rather than allowed to shop around for a new family with less work, more perks, a better location.

Thank you for this very important data.

Seems like a great businesses.

[Anonymous]

This lawsuit is giving families who had Au pair a bad name. Whole idea to be Au pair and working for less than minimum wage or just simply in a house of strangers abroad seems more dangerous and like a scam. USA and angencies there sound like a bad place for visitors especially Au pairs.

[Anonymous]

Yet APs keep coming. Almost 3X as many AP candidates than there are HF.

[Anonymous]

Yes they are comming because of adverts, movies about the agency, Hollywood movies, music etc. Does the agency inform that there are about 90.000 unsatisfied au pairs and that there is a lawsuit against agencies? I don't think so. Does the agency try to cool the atmosphere down? Oh that were some bad matches. We are legal American agency existing 20 couple of years... bla, bla.

[Anonymous]

Yes they are comming because of adverts, movies about the agency, Hollywood movies, music etc. Does the agency inform that there are about 90.000 unsatisfied au pairs and that there is a lawsuit against agencies? I don't think so. Does the agency try to cool the atmosphere down? Oh that were some bad matches. We are legal American agency existing 20 couple of years... bla, bla.

And they are social media savvy. I think a lot more former APs recommend the program and post all of their adventures on social media. And APs keep on coming in droves!

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain to me -- are there actually 91,000 au pairs who have joined the suit? Or is that just the world of APs who are welcome to join now that the class is certified?

[Anonymous]

I am almost certain that this is all the APs over the last xx years. probably 20 plus years. I thought there are about 10k APs a year, if that.

[Anonymous]

And no way they can even locate all 90k. The law firm will make millions and the APs will get coupons, and most won't even know about it.