I've always paid my AuPairs more, until I got a complete and total dud. We sent her into rematch and left the program at that time (April of this year). The crap ones aren't even worth the 200/wk because they are more stress and headache. With the last one it was me babysitting her.

Why? I’m a np who has a nanny (we pay $25/hr on the books) and our nanny has to pay her own rent, food, transportation costs, etc. if she was getting free rent and food (we do give her open access to the kitchen when she’s working), I think $1000 a month of spending money would be a boon.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I would love to have my au pairs gig - her own floor of our NYC townhouse, whatever she likes to eat/drink, all weekends fully off, $250/week to spend on what she likes, unlimited iPhone plan, seasonal ski pass, rentals & lessons, in normal times travel with us to multiple places around the country and world, etc. Typically she works @4-5 hours/day m-f but covers more if younger kids are home (currently they are in school 4 days/week). We’ve hosted au pairs for 6+ years and they’ve all had a great experience. I know we do more than the minimum but they get much more than just money from us. [/quote]

You realize most families don’t provide this right?

It’s like saying you think the tipping model is fair because you tipped 30% on a big order. It’s myopic to ignore the fact that there are many servers making $2/hour and only getting a few dollars in tips while dealing with sexual harassment and job creep.

Get over yourself. If you exceed the standard why does it bother you to raise minimum requirements so others aren’t exploited? I think you should reflect on why this bothers you so much since by your own admission it wouldn’t change anything for you.[/quote]

Because au pairs are not employees and they do not have any living expenses - therefore it’s ridiculous to expect to pay them a “living wage”. There should be more oversight to ensure that families are actually following the rules, and families who don’t should be kicked out of the program, but the program is written as a cultural exchange and opportunity for young people from other countries to live in the US for a year or two while having their basic needs met. They don’t need money to “live on”, they just get some for fun. Your argument is a straw man. The minimum standards are already pretty high. You tell me getting $800-$1000+ a month in spending money isn’t “fair”? That’s more than most people in the US spend on non-essentials in a month. [/quote]

You are despicable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would love to have my au pairs gig - her own floor of our NYC townhouse, whatever she likes to eat/drink, all weekends fully off, $250/week to spend on what she likes, unlimited iPhone plan, seasonal ski pass, rentals & lessons, in normal times travel with us to multiple places around the country and world, etc. Typically she works @4-5 hours/day m-f but covers more if younger kids are home (currently they are in school 4 days/week). We’ve hosted au pairs for 6+ years and they’ve all had a great experience. I know we do more than the minimum but they get much more than just money from us.

You realize most families don’t provide this right?

It’s like saying you think the tipping model is fair because you tipped 30% on a big order. It’s myopic to ignore the fact that there are many servers making $2/hour and only getting a few dollars in tips while dealing with sexual harassment and job creep.

Get over yourself. If you exceed the standard why does it bother you to raise minimum requirements so others aren’t exploited? I think you should reflect on why this bothers you so much since by your own admission it wouldn’t change anything for you.

Because au pairs are not employees and they do not have any living expenses - therefore it’s ridiculous to expect to pay them a “living wage”. There should be more oversight to ensure that families are actually following the rules, and families who don’t should be kicked out of the program, but the program is written as a cultural exchange and opportunity for young people from other countries to live in the US for a year or two while having their basic needs met. They don’t need money to “live on”, they just get some for fun. Your argument is a straw man. The minimum standards are already pretty high. You tell me getting $800-$1000+ a month in spending money isn’t “fair”? That’s more than most people in the US spend on non-essentials in a month.

Anonymous wrote:I would love to have my au pairs gig - her own floor of our NYC townhouse, whatever she likes to eat/drink, all weekends fully off, $250/week to spend on what she likes, unlimited iPhone plan, seasonal ski pass, rentals & lessons, in normal times travel with us to multiple places around the country and world, etc. Typically she works @4-5 hours/day m-f but covers more if younger kids are home (currently they are in school 4 days/week). We’ve hosted au pairs for 6+ years and they’ve all had a great experience. I know we do more than the minimum but they get much more than just money from us.

You realize most families don’t provide this right?

It’s like saying you think the tipping model is fair because you tipped 30% on a big order. It’s myopic to ignore the fact that there are many servers making $2/hour and only getting a few dollars in tips while dealing with sexual harassment and job creep.

Get over yourself. If you exceed the standard why does it bother you to raise minimum requirements so others aren’t exploited? I think you should reflect on why this bothers you so much since by your own admission it wouldn’t change anything for you.

I would love to have my au pairs gig - her own floor of our NYC townhouse, whatever she likes to eat/drink, all weekends fully off, $250/week to spend on what she likes, unlimited iPhone plan, seasonal ski pass, rentals & lessons, in normal times travel with us to multiple places around the country and world, etc. Typically she works @4-5 hours/day m-f but covers more if younger kids are home (currently they are in school 4 days/week). We’ve hosted au pairs for 6+ years and they’ve all had a great experience. I know we do more than the minimum but they get much more than just money from us.

Anonymous wrote:In terms of treatment of the domestic workers, I believe the MA model is the only fair way to go.

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/domestic-workers

It’s the childless millennial slacktavist again, MA is the only state in the country with this model - and it’s killed the AP program in the state. It hasn’t helped nannies with status that allows them to work, and most daycares are closed. It’s actually helped the illegal nanny trade, which depresses wages, endangers children, etc. We get that you don’t care about children particularly, but for those with a moral compass, MA is a poor role model.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I’ll bite. Living wage is meant as — at minimum — a minimum wage for the locale. $15/hr in DC. That is a wage that helps meet basic needs. That seems fairly clear from reading this board.

In fact, 67% of Americans surveyed last year by the Pew Research Center expressed support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. It is shocking that the willingness to pay substinence rates or below is so prevalent at dcum.

Well, by your definition, APs are making minimum wage, since they don’t pay for food, housing, transportation, or a cell phone. $1000 budget for clothes every month is fantastic!

The recommendation is not to pay below minimum wage. Also, to not deduct for room and board if living in is part of the employment offer. If you do deduct, to deduct a max of $77 per week.

Haha. Good luck finding room and board equivalent of $77/week around here. Realistically, room and board is worth at least $1k/month - and that's really a low estimate.

Our regular sitter - who I was paying $20/hour when she lived on her own with a roommate - actually offered her sitting services for FREE in exchange for room and board. Her monthly expenses were close to $2k/month. $1400/month rent, plus cable, Internet, food, electric, etc.

That is so wrong.

In terms of treatment of the domestic workers, I believe the MA model is the only fair way to go.

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/domestic-workers

We pay $225. She works about 35 hours a week with our two kids (and 10 of those they are napping or doing quiet time), and I do all the planning of activities and schedule. She feeds them when she is with them and helps them pick up toys but she isn’t doing laundry or anything. She has a car, her own suite on a different floor (privacy), good food and lots of take out, and we don’t expect 100% capacity from her. Our take is she isn’t paid as well as a nanny and doesn’t get the benefit of cultural exchange due to covid so we want her to have an easier load. We pick days for her to sleep in and get off early and are around if the kids are flipping or if she needs help getting them out the door (WFH). She tells us about her friends who have it worse all the time. I think it’s a good gig for a not-ready-to-adult kid interested in traveling, assuming the host family doesn’t treat them like a nanny. They aren’t nannies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I’ll bite. Living wage is meant as — at minimum — a minimum wage for the locale. $15/hr in DC. That is a wage that helps meet basic needs. That seems fairly clear from reading this board.

In fact, 67% of Americans surveyed last year by the Pew Research Center expressed support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. It is shocking that the willingness to pay substinence rates or below is so prevalent at dcum.

Well, by your definition, APs are making minimum wage, since they don’t pay for food, housing, transportation, or a cell phone. $1000 budget for clothes every month is fantastic!

The recommendation is not to pay below minimum wage. Also, to not deduct for room and board if living in is part of the employment offer. If you do deduct, to deduct a max of $77 per week.

Haha. Good luck finding room and board equivalent of $77/week around here. Realistically, room and board is worth at least $1k/month - and that's really a low estimate.

Our regular sitter - who I was paying $20/hour when she lived on her own with a roommate - actually offered her sitting services for FREE in exchange for room and board. Her monthly expenses were close to $2k/month. $1400/month rent, plus cable, Internet, food, electric, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I’ll bite. Living wage is meant as — at minimum — a minimum wage for the locale. $15/hr in DC. That is a wage that helps meet basic needs. That seems fairly clear from reading this board.

In fact, 67% of Americans surveyed last year by the Pew Research Center expressed support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. It is shocking that the willingness to pay substinence rates or below is so prevalent at dcum.

Well, by your definition, APs are making minimum wage, since they don’t pay for food, housing, transportation, or a cell phone. $1000 budget for clothes every month is fantastic!

I would disagree. You are meant to pay minimum wage despite deductions. Please have a look at the Kamala Harris domestic worker bill of rights and why it was necessary

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I’ll bite. Living wage is meant as — at minimum — a minimum wage for the locale. $15/hr in DC. That is a wage that helps meet basic needs. That seems fairly clear from reading this board.

In fact, 67% of Americans surveyed last year by the Pew Research Center expressed support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. It is shocking that the willingness to pay substinence rates or below is so prevalent at dcum.

Well, by your definition, APs are making minimum wage, since they don’t pay for food, housing, transportation, or a cell phone. $1000 budget for clothes every month is fantastic!

The recommendation is not to pay below minimum wage. Also, to not deduct for room and board if living in is part of the employment offer. If you do deduct, to deduct a max of $77 per week.

Anonymous wrote:NP. I’ll bite. Living wage is meant as — at minimum — a minimum wage for the locale. $15/hr in DC. That is a wage that helps meet basic needs. That seems fairly clear from reading this board.

In fact, 67% of Americans surveyed last year by the Pew Research Center expressed support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. It is shocking that the willingness to pay substinence rates or below is so prevalent at dcum.

Well, by your definition, APs are making minimum wage, since they don’t pay for food, housing, transportation, or a cell phone. $1000 budget for clothes every month is fantastic!

NP. I’ll bite. Living wage is meant as — at minimum — a minimum wage for the locale. $15/hr in DC. That is a wage that helps meet basic needs. That seems fairly clear from reading this board.

In fact, 67% of Americans surveyed last year by the Pew Research Center expressed support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. It is shocking that the willingness to pay substinence rates or below is so prevalent at dcum.