Wow. No discussion about the death of the AP program here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the Pp who currently pays $225, once you deduct the $100 a week that CC is going to give you, does that make it a complete wash re: the finances? I was thinking that the $100 from the agency would ensure that we have no additional ‘hit’.

I agree re: the paperwork, that is why I’d have to consider if we would stay with the program. I’m already an overworked, overwhelmed momma, I really can’t manage all of the other ‘noise’ that this ruling would give me. But to that point, I also know using my schools aftercare program would not work for me (I need someone to do the kids laundry (ages 5 and 8) because they are too young, and my husband and I just do not have the time :/)

Wait, why are your kids too young to do laundry?

I’m a nanny. All of my charges start folding washcloths at 2 and matching socks at 3. By 4, they are stripping their beds and washing/drying their own sheets (with help when they wet the bed). Also at 4, they can wash/dry the load of towels. At 5, they are turning clothes right side out, zipping pants and checking pockets. At 6, they’re learning to sort out colors, look for stains and pretreat, and finding tears (pulling items to have an adult decide to keep for old clothes, dispose of donate). By 7, I trust all of my charges to bag (in the wash) and hang athletic clothing to dry before throwing the rest in the dryer. By 8, all of my charges are capable of doing any laundry, though they may need help remembering when to do it.

Are you teaching your children to do housework? Are you teaching them to cook? How about learning to manage their time and get the important things done efficiently so then they can play/have fun?

This post is insane. Why do you care so much about laundry?

I care about teaching my charges to contribute to their family and community and to be independent/self-sufficient in age-appropriate ways. It boggles my mind that children at 5 and 8 are “too young” to even help with their laundry. It makes me wonder about what other things they should be learning, yet aren’t. They form the habit when they’re young and the difficulty is gradually increased as they show mastery. The same thing happens in every school subject, music, sport, art, etc. It’s called spiral or graduated learning.

No one cares about your views on laundry. This is a thread about the new wage law affecting APs in MA.

Nanny, please open an AMA: my unabridged thoughts on the intersection of children and laundry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or, MBs could do the laundry instead of reading DCUM.

You’re right I could fire all my household help. But then what’s the point of being rich?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depending on the state, this can go either way. Our absolutely awful AuPair works from.345-7pm. She taxis the boys around. My kids are 10&13 and we never have her work weeks, as we leave the kids alone if we go out. Summers, our kids go to half day camp most of the time, or bike to swim team. The 13 yr old goes to the pool by himself.

With va minimum wage, I'd be required to pay $117/wk. In summer, for our max 30hr week, it would be $217, but most likely less. I suppose this exempts the family from paying room and board, much like Canada.

The way the new law is applied in MA, you still have to follow the DoD rules, which means you will have to pay a minimum of $195.75 even if you only use AP for 10 hours/week.

It’s actually not clear this is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depending on the state, this can go either way. Our absolutely awful AuPair works from.345-7pm. She taxis the boys around. My kids are 10&13 and we never have her work weeks, as we leave the kids alone if we go out. Summers, our kids go to half day camp most of the time, or bike to swim team. The 13 yr old goes to the pool by himself.

With va minimum wage, I'd be required to pay $117/wk. In summer, for our max 30hr week, it would be $217, but most likely less. I suppose this exempts the family from paying room and board, much like Canada.

The way the new law is applied in MA, you still have to follow the DoD rules, which means you will have to pay a minimum of $195.75 even if you only use AP for 10 hours/week.

It’s actually not clear this is true.

This is very clear from the ccap communication to MA HFs.

[Anonymous]

So if I am reading this right, you can tell the AP that she still has a job with you, but she has to live somewhere else. Right?

[Anonymous]

2e always documented and paid our APs minimum wage if their horse went over the $299 calculation. So for us any hours over 27.5. I've always been happy to do this.

We now have a God awful AP and this is our last year. It's an absolute slog to the finish. The only reason we keep her is I don't want to battle it out with the agency. However I don't pay her a single dollar over $200 and don't give her any of the perks our former APs got, such as paid vacations, our airline miles for their personal flights, manis/pedis just because, or the generous cash Christmas and birthday bonus.

I'm so glad I wont.be part of this program after this last horrendous mistake. This is also what I get for being desperate and taking on a rematch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depending on the state, this can go either way. Our absolutely awful AuPair works from.345-7pm. She taxis the boys around. My kids are 10&13 and we never have her work weeks, as we leave the kids alone if we go out. Summers, our kids go to half day camp most of the time, or bike to swim team. The 13 yr old goes to the pool by himself.

With va minimum wage, I'd be required to pay $117/wk. In summer, for our max 30hr week, it would be $217, but most likely less. I suppose this exempts the family from paying room and board, much like Canada.

The way the new law is applied in MA, you still have to follow the DoD rules, which means you will have to pay a minimum of $195.75 even if you only use AP for 10 hours/week.

It’s actually not clear this is true.

This is very clear from the ccap communication to MA HFs.

No, it's not. They refer them to the MA AG's office. Under their "guidance," you could actually not feed the AP, and give him or her the artificially low deduction rate for meals in case (here's $10.50 for all of your breakfasts for the week!). The MA AG's office believes you are required to now withhold state income taxes from the stipend AND you will be taxed as having household employees. CCAP tells you to follow MA AG's office direction....so, the MA guidance is that APs are household employees and you have to comply with household employee rules. And so do the APs, so they will be taxed for any benefit they receive (education credit, trips, a portion of the car insurance, a portion of the car payment, a portion of gas, a portion of the cell phone, etc. MA has very high SALT so, the APs are not going to be happy.

[Anonymous]

Since it seems like lots of people are posting here without knowing anything about the MA law, here is some info. It is INSANE as applied to au pairs, but I don't even understand how working parents are supposed to hire a nanny under this law either. A break every 6 hours, during which she must be free to leave the house? What?? She can waive that break, but how does that make any sense for childcare?

It seems like you couldn't have a curfew for your au pair, either-- if she's not free to leave the house, those are work hours and she has to be paid for that. WTF? I tried not having a curfew, but then I ended up with an au pair who thought she could live with her boyfriend and commute from 30 miles away. She was late, of course, so I imposed a curfew. But now, in MA, I would be stuck with completely unreliable childcare, or I would have to pay her for sleeping at my house?

You're required to give them internet access? Sounds reasonable, but I know people who've turned off the wifi because the lazy au pair just parked their toddler in front of an iPad to watch cartoons all day. Now we have to just let them do that?

This is so crazy. If something like this ever passes here, I would have to quit my job to take care of my own kids. So the domestic workers will have rights, but they won't have jobs anymore!

https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/03/28/06%20Domestic%20Workers%20NEW.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since it seems like lots of people are posting here without knowing anything about the MA law, here is some info. It is INSANE as applied to au pairs, but I don't even understand how working parents are supposed to hire a nanny under this law either. A break every 6 hours, during which she must be free to leave the house? What?? She can waive that break, but how does that make any sense for childcare?

It seems like you couldn't have a curfew for your au pair, either-- if she's not free to leave the house, those are work hours and she has to be paid for that. WTF? I tried not having a curfew, but then I ended up with an au pair who thought she could live with her boyfriend and commute from 30 miles away. She was late, of course, so I imposed a curfew. But now, in MA, I would be stuck with completely unreliable childcare, or I would have to pay her for sleeping at my house?

You're required to give them internet access? Sounds reasonable, but I know people who've turned off the wifi because the lazy au pair just parked their toddler in front of an iPad to watch cartoons all day. Now we have to just let them do that?

This is so crazy. If something like this ever passes here, I would have to quit my job to take care of my own kids. So the domestic workers will have rights, but they won't have jobs anymore!

https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/03/28/06%20Domestic%20Workers%20NEW.pdf

Huh? why would you quit your job? You could just send your kids to daycare or aftercare, like 99% of the population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Huh? why would you quit your job? You could just send your kids to daycare or aftercare, like 99% of the population.

You do understand that some people work evenings, weekends, and generally non-standard hours not covered by daycare or aftercare, right? And some people travel for work? Without an au pair OR a nanny, I couldn't work in my profession. Get off your high horse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since it seems like lots of people are posting here without knowing anything about the MA law, here is some info. It is INSANE as applied to au pairs, but I don't even understand how working parents are supposed to hire a nanny under this law either. A break every 6 hours, during which she must be free to leave the house? What?? She can waive that break, but how does that make any sense for childcare?

It seems like you couldn't have a curfew for your au pair, either-- if she's not free to leave the house, those are work hours and she has to be paid for that. WTF? I tried not having a curfew, but then I ended up with an au pair who thought she could live with her boyfriend and commute from 30 miles away. She was late, of course, so I imposed a curfew. But now, in MA, I would be stuck with completely unreliable childcare, or I would have to pay her for sleeping at my house?

You're required to give them internet access? Sounds reasonable, but I know people who've turned off the wifi because the lazy au pair just parked their toddler in front of an iPad to watch cartoons all day. Now we have to just let them do that?

This is so crazy. If something like this ever passes here, I would have to quit my job to take care of my own kids. So the domestic workers will have rights, but they won't have jobs anymore!

https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/03/28/06%20Domestic%20Workers%20NEW.pdf

Huh? why would you quit your job? You could just send your kids to daycare or aftercare, like 99% of the population.

Then 99% of the population must have jobs that work within the school care hours. Many of us do not, which is why we have APs or Nannies in the first place. I'd happily have my child in day care or after care exclusively and save the extra cost, but that's not how my working hours are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since it seems like lots of people are posting here without knowing anything about the MA law, here is some info. It is INSANE as applied to au pairs, but I don't even understand how working parents are supposed to hire a nanny under this law either. A break every 6 hours, during which she must be free to leave the house? What?? She can waive that break, but how does that make any sense for childcare?

It seems like you couldn't have a curfew for your au pair, either-- if she's not free to leave the house, those are work hours and she has to be paid for that. WTF? I tried not having a curfew, but then I ended up with an au pair who thought she could live with her boyfriend and commute from 30 miles away. She was late, of course, so I imposed a curfew. But now, in MA, I would be stuck with completely unreliable childcare, or I would have to pay her for sleeping at my house?

You're required to give them internet access? Sounds reasonable, but I know people who've turned off the wifi because the lazy au pair just parked their toddler in front of an iPad to watch cartoons all day. Now we have to just let them do that?

This is so crazy. If something like this ever passes here, I would have to quit my job to take care of my own kids. So the domestic workers will have rights, but they won't have jobs anymore!

https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/03/28/06%20Domestic%20Workers%20NEW.pdf

Huh? why would you quit your job? You could just send your kids to daycare or aftercare, like 99% of the population.

Then 99% of the population must have jobs that work within the school care hours. Many of us do not, which is why we have APs or Nannies in the first place. I'd happily have my child in day care or after care exclusively and save the extra cost, but that's not how my working hours are.

Ok, then quit your job. Sounds dramatic and stupid, but whatever.

[Anonymous]

We are not yet in the program. How might this affect DC for example? Have companies contacted DC families with any information?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are not yet in the program. How might this affect DC for example? Have companies contacted DC families with any information?

It will not affect DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not yet in the program. How might this affect DC for example? Have companies contacted DC families with any information?

It will not affect DC. [/quote

yet.

We can all see where this is going.