It would be nice if AP agency explained what “2 weeks vacation” means!

[Anonymous]

As in, it does not mean fourteen week days and no weekend day ever counts as vacation regardless of where she may be. Sigh.

We just explained to our au pair that “two weeks vacation” isn’t intended to be the equivalent of nearly three weeks of work days. She should plan for ten weekdays and four weekend days. She has already made a lot of plans and based on my current count she has no fewer than 12 vacation weekdays planned (wrapping around weekends in many cases, so she wouldn’t be available to work weekend days but doesn’t think those should be vacation). Plus a couple of additional weekend trips.

She is disappointed. Ugh. It would be really helpful if the agency made this clear to au pairs rather than leaving it to the family!

[Anonymous]

Check this out:

https://kdimas.aupairnews.com/2015/04/28/faq-how-much-vacation-time-do-au-pairs-get/

[Anonymous]

We had our LLC 2 week meeting last night and she specifically went over this with our au pair. She also said its common for families to pick one of the weeks.

[Anonymous]

If you give her 5 days off and let her work 20 hours on Saturday and Sunday it doesn't really feel like a vacation week does it? She should get her weekly payment for NO work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you give her 5 days off and let her work 20 hours on Saturday and Sunday it doesn't really feel like a vacation week does it? She should get her weekly payment for NO work.

Exactly!

This is why the weekends off count as vacation days. If AP scheduled M-F off, she also gets the weekend off = 7 days. Do that 2x for 14 days total off.

So that's why, by the same token, it's not 14 week days off. AP can't schedule Friday - Monday off and count it as just 2 days off, and do that 7 times. The weekend counts as time off, too so at least two those weekends would count as vacation days. The rest of the time in theory could be taken as long weekends, but then the HPs need to agree to it.

This is why it's imperative to discuss it while matching! Noone want to get to the this discussion a few weeks in and realized the expectations are not aligned.

[Anonymous]

I take it to mean 10 work days. Huh. Maybe it only never came up because our APs never work weekends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I take it to mean 10 work days. Huh. Maybe it only never came up because our APs never work weekends?

OP here. Our au pair takes it to mean 14 week days, because she is entitled to 14 days of vacation, and her usual schedule is weekdays only. So, by her calculation, she could be gone from Dec 1-20 and that would be her fourteen days, because only M-F days “count”.

Plus, she believes no holidays could possibly count as vacation days, and days parents have off also don’t count as vacation days.

So, applying her initial beliefs, she could literally work ONLY December 21st and the rest of the month off would be covered by vacation and “holidays”. (She’s not actually doing this - but that scenario could be the actual result based on how she assumed it worked.) Dec 1-20 vacation; Dec 21 work; Dec 22-23 weeekend do doesn’t count; Dec 24-31 “holidays”.

I share this example to demonstrate that her understanding is clearly not the program rule intent!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take it to mean 10 work days. Huh. Maybe it only never came up because our APs never work weekends?

OP here. Our au pair takes it to mean 14 week days, because she is entitled to 14 days of vacation, and her usual schedule is weekdays only. So, by her calculation, she could be gone from Dec 1-20 and that would be her fourteen days, because only M-F days “count”.

Plus, she believes no holidays could possibly count as vacation days, and days parents have off also don’t count as vacation days.

So, applying her initial beliefs, she could literally work ONLY December 21st and the rest of the month off would be covered by vacation and “holidays”. (She’s not actually doing this - but that scenario could be the actual result based on how she assumed it worked.) Dec 1-20 vacation; Dec 21 work; Dec 22-23 weeekend do doesn’t count; Dec 24-31 “holidays”.

I share this example to demonstrate that her understanding is clearly not the program rule intent!

That’s frustrating OP. It doesn’t matter that you’re totally right, she’s still going to feel let down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take it to mean 10 work days. Huh. Maybe it only never came up because our APs never work weekends?

OP here. Our au pair takes it to mean 14 week days, because she is entitled to 14 days of vacation, and her usual schedule is weekdays only. So, by her calculation, she could be gone from Dec 1-20 and that would be her fourteen days, because only M-F days “count”.

Plus, she believes no holidays could possibly count as vacation days, and days parents have off also don’t count as vacation days.

So, applying her initial beliefs, she could literally work ONLY December 21st and the rest of the month off would be covered by vacation and “holidays”. (She’s not actually doing this - but that scenario could be the actual result based on how she assumed it worked.) Dec 1-20 vacation; Dec 21 work; Dec 22-23 weeekend do doesn’t count; Dec 24-31 “holidays”.

I share this example to demonstrate that her understanding is clearly not the program rule intent!

That’s frustrating OP. It doesn’t matter that you’re totally right, she’s still going to feel let down.

And FWIW we give off every day we have off without cutting into her vacation days, but that’s not an entitlement, it’s a generous perk of our gig.

[Anonymous]

OP - your AP is being unreasonable. Confirm our understanding with your LCC and say to the AP: "Larla, you have two weeks of vacation, which amounts to ten weekdays and 4 weekend days." If she balks, rematch and send her home since sounds like you'd be on your own for childcare for an entire month if she got her way!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take it to mean 10 work days. Huh. Maybe it only never came up because our APs never work weekends?

OP here. Our au pair takes it to mean 14 week days, because she is entitled to 14 days of vacation, and her usual schedule is weekdays only. So, by her calculation, she could be gone from Dec 1-20 and that would be her fourteen days, because only M-F days “count”.

Plus, she believes no holidays could possibly count as vacation days, and days parents have off also don’t count as vacation days.

So, applying her initial beliefs, she could literally work ONLY December 21st and the rest of the month off would be covered by vacation and “holidays”. (She’s not actually doing this - but that scenario could be the actual result based on how she assumed it worked.) Dec 1-20 vacation; Dec 21 work; Dec 22-23 weeekend do doesn’t count; Dec 24-31 “holidays”.

I share this example to demonstrate that her understanding is clearly not the program rule intent!

No way it's 14 working days. It's 45 hrs a week off. Period. That's why we never split vacation into days. Monday to Sunday off = one week of vacation. If au pair doesn't work weekends it makes the period to travel longer (Friday night or Saturday morning to next Sunday). I can't understand how she can think it's 14 working days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take it to mean 10 work days. Huh. Maybe it only never came up because our APs never work weekends?

OP here. Our au pair takes it to mean 14 week days, because she is entitled to 14 days of vacation, and her usual schedule is weekdays only. So, by her calculation, she could be gone from Dec 1-20 and that would be her fourteen days, because only M-F days “count”.

Plus, she believes no holidays could possibly count as vacation days, and days parents have off also don’t count as vacation days.

So, applying her initial beliefs, she could literally work ONLY December 21st and the rest of the month off would be covered by vacation and “holidays”. (She’s not actually doing this - but that scenario could be the actual result based on how she assumed it worked.) Dec 1-20 vacation; Dec 21 work; Dec 22-23 weeekend do doesn’t count; Dec 24-31 “holidays”.

I share this example to demonstrate that her understanding is clearly not the program rule intent!

That’s frustrating OP. It doesn’t matter that you’re totally right, she’s still going to feel let down.

And FWIW we give off every day we have off without cutting into her vacation days, but that’s not an entitlement, it’s a generous perk of our gig.

OP here. For the most part we do the same, if parents are planning to be home and available. But it is PERK, as you note. Not an entitlement or even a reasonable expectation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take it to mean 10 work days. Huh. Maybe it only never came up because our APs never work weekends?

OP here. Our au pair takes it to mean 14 week days, because she is entitled to 14 days of vacation, and her usual schedule is weekdays only. So, by her calculation, she could be gone from Dec 1-20 and that would be her fourteen days, because only M-F days “count”.

Plus, she believes no holidays could possibly count as vacation days, and days parents have off also don’t count as vacation days.

So, applying her initial beliefs, she could literally work ONLY December 21st and the rest of the month off would be covered by vacation and “holidays”. (She’s not actually doing this - but that scenario could be the actual result based on how she assumed it worked.) Dec 1-20 vacation; Dec 21 work; Dec 22-23 weeekend do doesn’t count; Dec 24-31 “holidays”.

I share this example to demonstrate that her understanding is clearly not the program rule intent!

That’s frustrating OP. It doesn’t matter that you’re totally right, she’s still going to feel let down.

OP should consider having the LCC explain the program rule to her so that it is coming from the agency and she does not direct her displeasure at the OP. Whoever is the messenger of this news will have to experience the AP's disappointment. Better if OP does not deliver this message and be in direct line of fire for what is a program rule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take it to mean 10 work days. Huh. Maybe it only never came up because our APs never work weekends?

OP here. Our au pair takes it to mean 14 week days, because she is entitled to 14 days of vacation, and her usual schedule is weekdays only. So, by her calculation, she could be gone from Dec 1-20 and that would be her fourteen days, because only M-F days “count”.

Plus, she believes no holidays could possibly count as vacation days, and days parents have off also don’t count as vacation days.

So, applying her initial beliefs, she could literally work ONLY December 21st and the rest of the month off would be covered by vacation and “holidays”. (She’s not actually doing this - but that scenario could be the actual result based on how she assumed it worked.) Dec 1-20 vacation; Dec 21 work; Dec 22-23 weeekend do doesn’t count; Dec 24-31 “holidays”.

I share this example to demonstrate that her understanding is clearly not the program rule intent!

No way it's 14 working days. It's 45 hrs a week off. Period. That's why we never split vacation into days. Monday to Sunday off = one week of vacation. If au pair doesn't work weekends it makes the period to travel longer (Friday night or Saturday morning to next Sunday). I can't understand how she can think it's 14 working days.

Probably in her home country 10 working days of vacation for a full year is just inconceivable.

PP is right that OP needs the LCC to be the bearer of bad news here.

[Anonymous]

That AP is delusional. Ours asked for her full two weeks around Christmas. That means she’s burning all two weeks, however you want to count it (10 working days, 14 consecutive days). It does not mean she has one “free” day left because Christmas is a holiday.

Is your AP dumb or overly clever and trying to game her “two weeks” into longer?