Proposed DC legislation re: domestic workers
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Anonymous
Does anyone know this? |
Anonymous
| I don’t know but there is always abuse by a very small percentage. Then put the onus on the agencies to regulate those things. Don’t create an overreaching law that would put an end to this program. |
Anonymous
| I am with APC and have NOT received any communication regarding this, beside those with APIA, anyone else received communication from their agency? |
Anonymous
| I am planning to call my councilmember and both at large councilmembers: White & Silverman who are in the committee but I have no idea what to say lol, does anyone have a script to share? |
Anonymous
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I would point blank ask them what their position is on how au pairs fit into this proposed legislation. I would tell them that the au pair program is a special federally regulated program that brings young foreigners with an interest in childcare and learning English and more about American culture to the U.S. and that it brings huge vendors to both host families and the au pairs.
I would tell them that au pairs DO NOT PAY FOR ANYTHING. The host families provide full room and board, transportation, education, cell service, health insurance, etc. The federal regulations already protect au pairs. And finally, applying minimum wage to au pairs would make the program unaffordable for most participant families because they already pay for all of the au pair’s expenses either directly or through agency fees. The weekly stipend is supposed to be spending money because their expenses are all covered. In Massachusetts similar legislation has created a mass exodus from the program. Let’s not be like Massachusetts. Let’s be like NY who carved out au pairs in an exception to the regulation. DC already has some of the highest cost childcare in the country and the au pair program fills a nice gap for working families who need flexible childcare (one hour in the morning and several after school) that nannies and babysitters are unwilling to fill. If not the au pair program, then what would your council member recommend for childcare for dual working parents with school aged children? |
Anonymous
| People have learned the hard way that the sales pitch is unfortunately not the reality. |
Anonymous
| There seem to be a lot of nannies on here who understandably dislike the au pair program due to the alternative option it represents for working families looking at childcare options. |
Anonymous
Can you point to the page or section? I did a quick search of "au pairs", "au pair", "j1" etc but can't find anything. Thanks |
Anonymous
Ha, i found it but it is a different document: https://labor.ny.gov/legal/laws/pdf/domestic-workers/facts-for-employers.pdf "The only exception is au pairs hired through the federal au pair program and admitted into the United States under a J-1 visa, which are subject to special federal rules. " |
Anonymous
| Ugh this would be awful for our family (and our au pair)! Does anyone know the status and how quickly this could be an issue for us in DC? |
Anonymous
^^ below are the councilmembers (with the person in charge of the bill email) that you should contact regardless of where you live in DC because they are all on the committee responsible for this bill. Additionally contact your ward councilmember. I have had productive talk with some of the people listed below but you got to keep the pressure on and keep referring to New York law and send the link above if needed. They are not getting enough call because some of them had no idea what I was talking about. Unlike Massachusetts, DC is small and we can have a big influence on this decision. Councilmembers CHAIRPERSON At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman contact: srosenamy@dccouncil.us COUNCILMEMBERS Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen contact: claskowski@dccouncil.us At-Large Councilmember David Grosso contact: abarrera@dccouncil.us Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie contact: bmcclure@dccouncil.us At-Large Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. contact: kwhitehouse@dccouncil.us |
Anonymous
Nobody knows until there is hearing and there is no hearing date yet but it might be coming soon, call you councilmember and all the councilmembers I listed on my previous post. This is what YOU can do and other HFs in the DC. This will help other HFs in other state as well because at least now we can refer to New York law, it would have been a tougher battle if nobody had excluded au pairs from their bill yet. |
Anonymous
Nope. I’ve recommended APs for several families who needed flexibility but didn’t want to pay for it or who needed very part-time hours and couldn’t pay close to a going rate. I just advocate for families to follow the rules, and I’m happy to provide APs with information on whether their hf is following the rules or not. Most are following most of the rules, so I think it’s a great program in many ways. And a few of my good friends are former APs who loved the program, stayed for a second year, got married and stayed legally. |
Anonymous
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When DC moves to $15 an hour this summer it'll be $34,000+ a year paid to the au pair BEFORE living expenses, food, agency fee (ours was $9k), payroll taxes (will this now be required like nannies?). And how will it even be administered since some families use the max 45 hours and some use far less than that? How will an au pair document the hours and who will keep track? This will simply mean that far fewer (if any) families will use this program now. It's a shame for all those involved because I'm guessing au pairs would rather come to a city like DC than bumble-f Ohio and now there will not be as many HF wanting them here so they won't have that opportunity. It just won't make sense anymore to have the headaches involved of a young adult roommate on top of added costs of the program AND then you're paying essentially the same amount you'd pay someone else anyway. DC is just making it absolutely impossible for working families. I'm not sure what families will do who need part-time care at odd hours. And then for full-time care, a center opening by us is going to be $32k a year for a toddler (so infant will be more), but they're only open until 6pm. If you can even get a spot. The au pair program was a good option for those needing flexible full and even more so, part-time care.
My au pair has funded trips to Florida, California, Colorado, New Orleans, Nashville, and goes to New York frequently. She plans to go to LA several more times this spring. She goes shopping more than I do BY FAR. She goes out with her friends every weekend to bars and clubs. She has sent money home to her family. We have given her holiday bonuses, paid for medical expenses, ubers, on top of cell phone, whatever groceries she wants (sometimes $100 a week), etc. So yeah- on paper, I realize we sound terrible for not wanting to pay them minimum wage. But SO MUCH MORE GOES INTO IT THAN THE $200 A WEEK STIPEND. So for those of us who are normal and friendly HFs who follow the program rules and have happy au pairs who agreed to come to the program fully knowing those rules and how much money they would make, this really just makes childcare that much more expensive in the most expensive city for childcare in the country. I wrote my council member and Ms. Silverman. I simply won't participate in the program anymore if this passes. I may as well find a college student to rent the basement room and bathroom to and get that income. |
Anonymous
+1 Keep this and go testify when there is a hearing. We can beat this! |