Rounding up Stipend to $200?

[Anonymous]

Wonder what my employer would say if I asked to have each of my paychecks rounded up each pay period.

IMO- it is nice of the families to round up. However certainly shouldn’t be an expectation of the au pair. The families that don’t round up are following the program rules to a tee and the au pairs still complain.

[Anonymous]

LOL.

This came up at dinner tonight with our AP.
We asked about her friend in rematch and she informed us she was sad; but her family only paid the 197 every month anyway.
She has many AP friends and was laughing at how they all that not rounding up was weird and is what “normal” families do round up; and it was just a sign of non-standard host family.

[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.

Who is getting paid $4/hour? APs get paid a stipend. If they want an hourly rate, perhaps they should stay home and find a job.

[Anonymous]

I pay the 195.75 but I also consider our situation generous because pay for all gas, helped with 200 extra for classes (200 above the 500), spot bonuses, extra money for trips, loans for flights. So, all of that adds up to more than 4.25024 week.

Au pairs, would you prefer a host family that pays 200 plus no extras or 195.75 and lots of bonuses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

As long as you accurately report what you paid her, the IRS doesn’t care.

[Anonymous]

To the families who say APs appreciate it more if you give them the $ in bulk later, I disagree. My discussions with APs on the topic are basically that they think non-rounders are being petty. I agree. It’s the HF equivalent of a clock watcher.

[Anonymous]

This is so silly. I bet that for every HF who pays $195.75 and provides personal car, suite, vacations, etc., there is a $200 rounder HF who gives nothing else all year and works her 45 hours and three weekends per month. Here is a great approach for APs, read the contract and expect it as written...then anything else will feel like a bonus. Also, for APs sitting around comparing $195.75 to $200...go do something fun!

[Anonymous]

Our LCC suggests $196 because when they first arrive handing them 3 quarters seems super cheap. We always do this and just stick with it once we set up direct deposit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so silly. I bet that for every HF who pays $195.75 and provides personal car, suite, vacations, etc., there is a $200 rounder HF who gives nothing else all year and works her 45 hours and three weekends per month. Here is a great approach for APs, read the contract and expect it as written...then anything else will feel like a bonus. Also, for APs sitting around comparing $195.75 to $200...go do something fun!

You’re in denial. We round up and have great set up. Walk to metro; AP drives her own small luxury suv; 2 school aged kids and only works 20 hours a week (summer may hit 40); travel vacations with private room and friend/bf from ooc. AP has nice room/private bath at home, gym membership and we are the AP “hang out”.
That being said, we still hear about the friend who travels with the lobbyists for work all over the country, or flies private air, or drives a newer BMW. The Hollywood dream seems to have abated for most, sake with NYC. Now it is perks and travel.

APs have raised the bar and expectations; realistic or not rounding up is the least you can do; unless you have a private jet then do not round up.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do anything extra for a host family that doesn't round up my stipend for a few bucks a weeks.

[Anonymous]

You’re in denial. We round up and have great set up. Walk to metro; AP drives her own small luxury suv; 2 school aged kids and only works 20 hours a week (summer may hit 40); travel vacations with private room and friend/bf from ooc. AP has nice room/private bath at home, gym membership and we are the AP “hang out”.
That being said, we still hear about the friend who travels with the lobbyists for work all over the country, or flies private air, or drives a newer BMW. The Hollywood dream seems to have abated for most, sake with NYC. Now it is perks and travel.

APs have raised the bar and expectations; realistic or not rounding up is the least you can do; unless you have a private jet then do not round up.

Ha! This is hilarious. I am so sure HF in this world would ever step into the drama of the AP program. Thanks for the morning chuckle.

[Anonymous]

Five years in with APIA, great APs, no rematches, direct deposit of $195.75. This has never come up. We reward with things that actually matter, don’t count towards her taxes, and mean a lot more than a few bucks.

Here is a little nugget for your bucket: you do you!

[Anonymous]

I have chimed in on this before. I round up and I think it's cheap not to do so. If I really could not afford the extra $4/week, I should not be in the program. But putting that aside, it takes a lot of balls to ASK for the extra $4 'just because'. It's not like AP is asking for a raise for going above and beyond or for increasing gas prices to feed a big SUV. The real question is: would I entertain such a request (could be someone asking for $220 over $200!), and the answer would be no.

To the other question about the stipend, I completely agree that the ENTIRE cost of the program is expensive (24k+ for us), but the in-pocket stipend for APs has not increased in 10 years. Cost of living sure has since. Many of us would agree that Federal minimum wage should be increased (but won't under this administration). Short of that, I think it makes sense to offer more that the $200 per week. It's not about creating an 'AP wage war', it's about putting your money where your mouth is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

As long as you accurately report what you paid her, the IRS doesn’t care.

Then AP pays more in taxes since it is paid as stipend when lumped in, versus AP gets gifts separate and apart and do not have to report since it is under the gifting threshold. I wonder given this, would AP still want it counted as stipend and taxable or receive in form of a gift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

As long as you accurately report what you paid her, the IRS doesn’t care.

Then AP pays more in taxes since it is paid as stipend when lumped in, versus AP gets gifts separate and apart and do not have to report since it is under the gifting threshold. I wonder given this, would AP still want it counted as stipend and taxable or receive in form of a gift.

It's the equivalent of $32 of extra taxes. And so many don't even pay their taxes to start with...