Au Pair - Asking for more than the stipend?

[Anonymous]

Just getting into the interviewing process and got warned that au pairs may try and negotiate a higher rate. Have others encountered this?

[Anonymous]

They don't negotiate, they limit their talks with families to those who offer extra pay, other good perks, best locations and nicest, easiest children. Or the best combo they find of that. Au Pairs are young girls, they aren't seasoned interviewers. They will find out what you are offering based on your profile, intro email or a short facetime chat, and then ghost you if they aren't interested, sometimes with a polite email.

[Anonymous]

Yes, we've paid higher than the required stipend for years. We live in an expensive area and expect our au pairs to do a great job. We pay them accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They don't negotiate, they limit their talks with families to those who offer extra pay, other good perks, best locations and nicest, easiest children. Or the best combo they find of that. Au Pairs are young girls, they aren't seasoned interviewers. They will find out what you are offering based on your profile, intro email or a short facetime chat, and then ghost you if they aren't interested, sometimes with a polite email.

I see. What are "good perks" and is extra pay offered for basic duties or for extra duties?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't negotiate, they limit their talks with families to those who offer extra pay, other good perks, best locations and nicest, easiest children. Or the best combo they find of that. Au Pairs are young girls, they aren't seasoned interviewers. They will find out what you are offering based on your profile, intro email or a short facetime chat, and then ghost you if they aren't interested, sometimes with a polite email.

I see. What are "good perks" and is extra pay offered for basic duties or for extra duties?

You aren't allowed to pay for extra duties. That's against the rules of the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we've paid higher than the required stipend for years. We live in an expensive area and expect our au pairs to do a great job. We pay them accordingly.

Thank you for the response. A few questions. Are you in the DMV? How much higher have you paid? Do you wait to see how they do in the home and then increase it or offer a higher rate at the outset? Is the extra rate for extra work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't negotiate, they limit their talks with families to those who offer extra pay, other good perks, best locations and nicest, easiest children. Or the best combo they find of that. Au Pairs are young girls, they aren't seasoned interviewers. They will find out what you are offering based on your profile, intro email or a short facetime chat, and then ghost you if they aren't interested, sometimes with a polite email.

I see. What are "good perks" and is extra pay offered for basic duties or for extra duties?

You aren't allowed to pay for extra duties. That's against the rules of the program.

I read on the other rate thread that people are paying their au pairs extra for babysitting - is that not acceptable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we've paid higher than the required stipend for years. We live in an expensive area and expect our au pairs to do a great job. We pay them accordingly.

Thank you for the response. A few questions. Are you in the DMV? How much higher have you paid? Do you wait to see how they do in the home and then increase it or offer a higher rate at the outset? Is the extra rate for extra work?

We've paid between $250-300/wk for a few years now. We base it on the number of hours we expect the au pair to work and the state of covid (i.e., if they are locked down we pay more since they are having a crappier experience).

We also give a raise if the au pair extends for a 2nd year and a completion bonus for finishing out their full agreed term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't negotiate, they limit their talks with families to those who offer extra pay, other good perks, best locations and nicest, easiest children. Or the best combo they find of that. Au Pairs are young girls, they aren't seasoned interviewers. They will find out what you are offering based on your profile, intro email or a short facetime chat, and then ghost you if they aren't interested, sometimes with a polite email.

I see. What are "good perks" and is extra pay offered for basic duties or for extra duties?

You aren't allowed to pay for extra duties. That's against the rules of the program.

I read on the other rate thread that people are paying their au pairs extra for babysitting - is that not acceptable?

No. You can get kicked out of the program for that. It's against the rules. No more than 45 hours per week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we've paid higher than the required stipend for years. We live in an expensive area and expect our au pairs to do a great job. We pay them accordingly.

Thank you for the response. A few questions. Are you in the DMV? How much higher have you paid? Do you wait to see how they do in the home and then increase it or offer a higher rate at the outset? Is the extra rate for extra work?

We've paid between $250-300/wk for a few years now. We base it on the number of hours we expect the au pair to work and the state of covid (i.e., if they are locked down we pay more since they are having a crappier experience).

We also give a raise if the au pair extends for a 2nd year and a completion bonus for finishing out their full agreed term.

And yes, we are in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't negotiate, they limit their talks with families to those who offer extra pay, other good perks, best locations and nicest, easiest children. Or the best combo they find of that. Au Pairs are young girls, they aren't seasoned interviewers. They will find out what you are offering based on your profile, intro email or a short facetime chat, and then ghost you if they aren't interested, sometimes with a polite email.

I see. What are "good perks" and is extra pay offered for basic duties or for extra duties?

We had an AP go to a new family for her second year. She found a family in NYC's UES with a single elementary-aged child, a live-in housekeeper, a vacation home she was welcome to use, and private planes for family trips. Not sure of other perks. She was German, good driving, good English and a second year. That is the top of the market.

Basically, put out a package with what you have to offer. If you don't get bites, re-think. Its a matching process like dating apps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we've paid higher than the required stipend for years. We live in an expensive area and expect our au pairs to do a great job. We pay them accordingly.

Thank you for the response. A few questions. Are you in the DMV? How much higher have you paid? Do you wait to see how they do in the home and then increase it or offer a higher rate at the outset? Is the extra rate for extra work?

We've paid between $250-300/wk for a few years now. We base it on the number of hours we expect the au pair to work and the state of covid (i.e., if they are locked down we pay more since they are having a crappier experience).

We also give a raise if the au pair extends for a 2nd year and a completion bonus for finishing out their full agreed term.

Thank you. Do you have multiple children? I would be more willing to increase for that - at the moment ours will be an infant so though requiring all of the hours, not as labor intensive as a toddler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't negotiate, they limit their talks with families to those who offer extra pay, other good perks, best locations and nicest, easiest children. Or the best combo they find of that. Au Pairs are young girls, they aren't seasoned interviewers. They will find out what you are offering based on your profile, intro email or a short facetime chat, and then ghost you if they aren't interested, sometimes with a polite email.

I see. What are "good perks" and is extra pay offered for basic duties or for extra duties?

We had an AP go to a new family for her second year. She found a family in NYC's UES with a single elementary-aged child, a live-in housekeeper, a vacation home she was welcome to use, and private planes for family trips. Not sure of other perks. She was German, good driving, good English and a second year. That is the top of the market.

Basically, put out a package with what you have to offer. If you don't get bites, re-think. Its a matching process like dating apps.

Got it. Yes, we can't compete with that - but will let the process play out as it will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't negotiate, they limit their talks with families to those who offer extra pay, other good perks, best locations and nicest, easiest children. Or the best combo they find of that. Au Pairs are young girls, they aren't seasoned interviewers. They will find out what you are offering based on your profile, intro email or a short facetime chat, and then ghost you if they aren't interested, sometimes with a polite email.

I see. What are "good perks" and is extra pay offered for basic duties or for extra duties?

You aren't allowed to pay for extra duties. That's against the rules of the program.

I read on the other rate thread that people are paying their au pairs extra for babysitting - is that not acceptable?

Correct. Extra hours are a violation of their J1 visa terms.

[Anonymous]

Don't do it. There was a time where the stock of aupairs we're limited. But now it's balanced