Rounding up Stipend to $200?

[Anonymous]

How about it helps with MY calculations to pay the AP exactly what the program rules say, $195.75 in order to track and document the exact annual childcare expense for tax deductions. Now, that's actually a calculation worth being exact about in case the IRS audits.

[Anonymous]

While we're on this subject...how many of you offer (or know of families who offer) a higher weekly stipend? We were just very close to matching with a great candidate and she told us that it came down to the fact that another family had offered $250 per week off the bat. How can I compete with that???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While we're on this subject...how many of you offer (or know of families who offer) a higher weekly stipend? We were just very close to matching with a great candidate and she told us that it came down to the fact that another family had offered $250 per week off the bat. How can I compete with that???

If your candidate is saying it is your family versus the other family based solely on the stipend dollar, then this candidate will be comparing your family, your perks and complaining when it looks like the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, once she gets to your home for the entire year. Slippery slope. Is this a bidding war over this candidate? I hate to imagine what 12 months with this person will be like, if she is like this before a match. Even when we compare job offers for ourselves, it is rarely only about the salary. I would drop her.

And to answer the question ... no, we do not pay above the program rule amount. We rather be exact on the stipend and treat everything else as a bonus or additional benefit and not lump it all together.

[Anonymous]

No, I absolutely wouldn't get into a bidding war over an AP, but this was the first time I'd heard of this.

[Anonymous]

While we're on this subject...how many of you offer (or know of families who offer) a higher weekly stipend? We were just very close to matching with a great candidate and she told us that it came down to the fact that another family had offered $250 per week off the bat. How can I compete with that???

Ridiculous and honestly, who knows if she is even telling the truth. I would also report this to the agency. This is really in bad taste all around. Do not feel badly about losing out on her. One time we came close to this scenario is when we were about to match and AP asked us where we were taking her on vacation...we had not even made our vacation plans at that point and I was honest about that and the fact that we wait to see which vacation plans are feasible for including AP (i.e not when we are sharing a house with friends or staying with family). She said that she decided to match with another family who was going on vacation. Honestly, better to know their perk needs before matching! We have a great AP this year who goes with her own friends on vacations and is very happy!

[Anonymous]

Ok, round up to $196.

That's what I do.
I was a long time rounder to $200, but felt it was unappreciated or unnoticed.

I now do $196, and supply bonuses along the way (christmas, quarterly, at 6months, adhoc), which go further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While we're on this subject...how many of you offer (or know of families who offer) a higher weekly stipend? We were just very close to matching with a great candidate and she told us that it came down to the fact that another family had offered $250 per week off the bat. How can I compete with that???

Walk away from that...

You don't want that at all...

Say, good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While we're on this subject...how many of you offer (or know of families who offer) a higher weekly stipend? We were just very close to matching with a great candidate and she told us that it came down to the fact that another family had offered $250 per week off the bat. How can I compete with that???

Oh hell no. "Great" became a no. I explicitly state when matching that we want a candidate that is committed to matching with us and staying for the year, NOT comparing the size of our small house with other APs or leaving for "better."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While we're on this subject...how many of you offer (or know of families who offer) a higher weekly stipend? We were just very close to matching with a great candidate and she told us that it came down to the fact that another family had offered $250 per week off the bat. How can I compete with that???

If she is with APIA and they are marked as an 'extraordinaire' this IS their weekly stipend. Likely she interviewed with a family that has already been paying that rate and is just used to it so now they are dangling it out there. I would not negotiate up front like that though, I'd just let her go with the option she wants. The older we get the more we learn to value intangibles in conjunction with financial benefits. She is coming to america to learn right

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our au pair has been with us 4 months and we like her. She works about 30 hours each week, mostly before/after school, watching our children ages 6, 9 and 11. We pay her weekly stipend of $195.75 by automatic bank transfer. She recently asked me to round her her weekly stipend to $200, saying it would "help with her calculations."

Do folks do this? I have to say, I am surprised she asked. It's not about the money, obviously. She has occasionally asked for things that I think are inappropriate (like if her boyfriend could come visit from her home country and stay with us for a week while she was working - NO!). We are generous with her, buying food she requests, paying her entire education course (about $100 over the required $500 spend) and the like. She has also requested certain days off to travel. above and beyond the required two weeks vacation, which we have generally granted.

What would you do? I suppose I just don't like being asked, but that sounds petty!

The stipend is a minimum. I've always paid $200 to average AuPairs and $250/wk for the good ones.

[Anonymous]

The stipend is a minimum. I've always paid $200 to average AuPairs and $250/wk for the good ones.

But this is different in my opinion...you aren't promising $250/wk in the interview. You are making this decision based on average or good work once AP arrives and is working?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The stipend is a minimum. I've always paid $200 to average AuPairs and $250/wk for the good ones.

But this is different in my opinion...you aren't promising $250/wk in the interview. You are making this decision based on average or good work once AP arrives and is working?

Yes, but the bottom line is the 195 is a minimum. I cant see how rounding up to $200 Is a major decision.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but the bottom line is the 195 is a minimum. I cant see how rounding up to $200 Is a major decision.

I think the point of the post is that it wasn't a major decision for OP...she made the decision to pay the minimum and offer other financial benefits such as paying over the $500 education stipend and was then asked by AP to round up to help with APs calculations. Now it isn't really about the silly $4, but the awkward request. It reminds me of when a former AP texted me about owing her $1....we pay for all personal gas and one time she filled up the tank and it was $66...I gave her $65

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The stipend is a minimum. I've always paid $200 to average AuPairs and $250/wk for the good ones.

But this is different in my opinion...you aren't promising $250/wk in the interview. You are making this decision based on average or good work once AP arrives and is working?

Yes, but the bottom line is the 195 is a minimum. I cant see how rounding up to $200 Is a major decision.

It's not a major decision, but the whole AP program is hundreds of $5 decisions that add up to $25k a year. For us, it's $215/a year that we'd rather give out in the occasional starbucks/cheesecake factory gift card than an underappreciated $4.25 a week. There isn't a host family out there that doesn't have at least that in unexpected expenses for the AP.

[Anonymous]

i would imagine that $4 a week is a lot more to her than you. insanely stingy for a person who you pay $4/hour for childcare. telling that this is the hill you want to die on.