Au pair -- indentured servitude or cultural exchange

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Au pairs probably don't post here because they are afraid their HMs, who do hang out on DCUM, will identify them and make their lives absolute and pure Hell!

Um, yeah, ok. If you follow that logic, then how are nannies posting without hesitation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Au pairs probably don't post here because they are afraid their HMs, who do hang out on DCUM, will identify them and make their lives absolute and pure Hell!

Um, yeah, ok. If you follow that logic, then how are nannies posting without hesitation?

Nannies have the freedom to quit and do not have to leave the country. They also have the freedom to negotiate hours of work, hourly pay and are paid OT for over 40 hours. Au pairs have little, if any, freedom as they are completely at the mercy of agency and host family and the agency always agrees with host family because that's how they make their money.

[Anonymous]

Au pairs have no freedom except to go home. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why should an au pair get all federal holidays off? Most employees don't get that.

Why are you so nasty? Most people I know in the DC are actually off on Federal holidays. Except retail, I guess.

I get federal holidays off and have given all our nanny and AP off federal holidays, plus 3 weeks of their choosing paid (I employ both, nanny for our toddler, the AP handles our 2 school aged kids), but I will tell you that unskilled labor does not usually get federal holidays off. Child care providers, regardless of visa status, education status, nationality, citizenship (or not) are all unskilled labor workers. Period.

Why do you hire unskilked workers to care for your children?

Exactly. Then they can't quite figure out why they have so many problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Au pairs probably don't post here because they are afraid their HMs, who do hang out on DCUM, will identify them and make their lives absolute and pure Hell!

Um, yeah, ok. If you follow that logic, then how are nannies posting without hesitation?

Nannies have the freedom to quit and do not have to leave the country. They also have the freedom to negotiate hours of work, hourly pay and are paid OT for over 40 hours. Au pairs have little, if any, freedom as they are completely at the mercy of agency and host family and the agency always agrees with host family because that's how they make their money.

Live-in nannies, who would be more comparable to APs than live-out nannies, do not get OT unless in a state which requires it (MD, CA, NY). Even in those states, it's not 40. Many live-in nannies are illegal immigrants, which also hampers their ability to negotiate.

[Anonymous]

So how much should I have to pay so some 22 year old can play tourist/go green card hunting on my dime?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So how much should I have to pay so some 22 year old can play tourist/go green card hunting on my dime?

Oh wait I forgot about the huffiness because we're not near enough to NYC or LA for her tastes/wishes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how much should I have to pay so some 22 year old can play tourist/go green card hunting on my dime?

Oh wait I forgot about the huffiness because we're not near enough to NYC or LA for her tastes/wishes.

You should have to pay $25/hr for being such a collosal bore and probably a federal govt employees making you worse than a collosal bore.

[JenniferKimura]

Thanks for sharing this valuable information.

[Anonymous]

I am a former AP. I was very miserable with my host family but didn't say anything as my counselor told me something along the lines of "accept it the way it is or go home" ...
I didn't want to spoil this once in a lifetime opportunity so I shut up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a former AP. I was very miserable with my host family but didn't say anything as my counselor told me something along the lines of "accept it the way it is or go home" ...
I didn't want to spoil this once in a lifetime opportunity so I shut up.

You didn't want to spoil the opportunity to be miserable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a former AP. I was very miserable with my host family but didn't say anything as my counselor told me something along the lines of "accept it the way it is or go home" ...
I didn't want to spoil this once in a lifetime opportunity so I shut up.

This is the absolute truth, not just an isolated case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Au pairs probably don't post here because they are afraid their HMs, who do hang out on DCUM, will identify them and make their lives absolute and pure Hell!

Um, yeah, ok. If you follow that logic, then how are nannies posting without hesitation?

Nannies have the freedom to quit and do not have to leave the country. They also have the freedom to negotiate hours of work, hourly pay and are paid OT for over 40 hours. Au pairs have little, if any, freedom as they are completely at the mercy of agency and host family and the agency always agrees with host family because that's how they make their money.

Live-in nannies, who would be more comparable to APs than live-out nannies, do not get OT unless in a state which requires it (MD, CA, NY). Even in those states, it's not 40. Many live-in nannies are illegal immigrants, which also hampers their ability to negotiate.

Your live-in illegals are not nannies, they're warm bodies... if you're lucky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeff said to bring argument to Off Topic and so I am.

The only purpose of this program is cheap childcare for cheap Americans. I do not see how it could ever be a cultural exchange program when 45 hours a week is taking care of children.

No overtime is paid. Frequently, there are 4 children for the au pair to care for.

The program needs to be revamped as follows:

1. Can work no more than 40 hours a week.
2. Program conforms to US labor laws.
3. Maximum of two children to care for.
4. Paid prevailing minimum wage of jurisdiction in which the host family lives.
5. No housework or yardwork, other than cleaning her room. Straightening children's room but no vaccuming. No cooking, cleaning kitchen for entire family and NEVER laundry for parents.
6. Every hour on the clock, e.g., AP has to pick up child from school at 3:30, on clock for travel time to school.
7. Two full weekends, Friday, 6 pm to Monday, 6 am, free.
8. All Federal holidays off.
9. If AP is taken on holiday with family, no taking care of kids. If taking care if kids is expected, then she has a private room.
10. Holiday meals cooked by host family, no using AP as maid.

Flame away, I 'm asbestos!

In view of the current political climate with the importation of au pairs, maybe each of the above points should be re-examined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeff said to bring argument to Off Topic and so I am.

The only purpose of this program is cheap childcare for cheap Americans. I do not see how it could ever be a cultural exchange program when 45 hours a week is taking care of children.

No overtime is paid. Frequently, there are 4 children for the au pair to care for.

The program needs to be revamped as follows:

1. Can work no more than 40 hours a week.
2. Program conforms to US labor laws.
3. Maximum of two children to care for.
4. Paid prevailing minimum wage of jurisdiction in which the host family lives.
5. No housework or yardwork, other than cleaning her room. Straightening children's room but no vaccuming. No cooking, cleaning kitchen for entire family and NEVER laundry for parents.
6. Every hour on the clock, e.g., AP has to pick up child from school at 3:30, on clock for travel time to school.
7. Two full weekends, Friday, 6 pm to Monday, 6 am, free.
8. All Federal holidays off.
9. If AP is taken on holiday with family, no taking care of kids. If taking care if kids is expected, then she has a private room.
10. Holiday meals cooked by host family, no using AP as maid.

Flame away, I 'm asbestos!

I think the agenda of the class action suit is to do away with the US au pair program. When you do the math of agency fees + minimum wage + over time + the costs of another person living in your home (tangible + lost space and privacy + concerns of a young adult might do something stupid that you will be responsible for) the program will no longer make sense.