Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 22:00     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
Anonymous wrote:That's what I don't understand. Do AP not notice they are not paying for their visa, flights to US, flights to local airport, and training, and that there are employed people right and left in helping them through the process? there is health insurance?Surely they also join the program because all that is paid for and gives them the means to come when they otherwise couldn't. People are obviously not going to all that trouble and expense out of the fun of it. The agencies are a business and HF pay To keep them in business. 3 meals a day is a lot to pay for, especially in our resort town where everything is jacked up. No car payment. No rent for a room that would go for $700 here. Often invited to go along with paid travel and often asked what foods they like. The whole things seems on paper like it should be a good arrangement. In the end the au pair is not going to save me $$$ from the cost of the live-out nannies in the US that I have employed but I want my kids to know other cultures and experience people from different places. I see it as a win win but it sounds like APs are going to be like having a surly teenager around who is entitled and resentful - not what I was going for here in this


Do you know all the things AP pays? APs pay visa fees and health insurance.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 22:00     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
I pay minimum wage for the hours I use. But my AP doesn't post in the groups because she finds other APs annoying so I assume she's not making your APs bitter.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 21:58     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
That's what I don't understand. Do AP not notice they are not paying for their visa, flights to US, flights to local airport, and training, and that there are employed people right and left in helping them through the process? there is health insurance?Surely they also join the program because all that is paid for and gives them the means to come when they otherwise couldn't. People are obviously not going to all that trouble and expense out of the fun of it. The agencies are a business and HF pay To keep them in business. 3 meals a day is a lot to pay for, especially in our resort town where everything is jacked up. No car payment. No rent for a room that would go for $700 here. Often invited to go along with paid travel and often asked what foods they like. The whole things seems on paper like it should be a good arrangement. In the end the au pair is not going to save me $$$ from the cost of the live-out nannies in the US that I have employed but I want my kids to know other cultures and experience people from different places. I see it as a win win but it sounds like APs are going to be like having a surly teenager around who is entitled and resentful - not what I was going for here in this
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 21:51     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
They make a lot more than minimum wage.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 21:49     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
Then why are you posting on an aupair program blog?

They make more than minimum wage. Do the math.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 21:46     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
i'm not an ap and have never made less than minimum wage, or anything close to it, even as a teenager. i'm just a person who thinks that it's fundamentally wrong to treat others with little to no consideration, just because it's convenient for me. everyone deserves a fair, living wage, and i think that it's insane and morally reprehensible to teach your children otherwise.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 21:38     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
Exactly AP stalker, if the compensation doesn't suit you, then why did you even involve yourself in the program? I don't get it. And yes, room and board are part of the compensation package. Or perhaps you know of another minimum wage job that also pays for your rent and food?
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 21:38     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
Anonymous wrote:really? you are compensated at less than half of what the federal minimum wage is, and find this acceptable? i'd love to hear more about that. and please, can we stop with the idea that living in your employer's home, and having to eat "their" food, is a perk? the majority of the threads here are complaining about the cost of having another adult living in your home, eating "your" food, and/or how annoying it is that she is still alive in your house when she's off the clock and therefore no longer of use to you. yes, sounds like a huge treat for your au pair. if you can't afford to pay someone at least minimum wage, you really can't expect them to do much more than the minimum of making sure your children haven't burned the place down while you were out.


You sound like a whiny AP who should've never come if you have such a problem with the COMPENSATION package.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 21:24     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
Then please tell me
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 21:24     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
The boys lead tell me AP, why do you even come? You know the compensation package.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 21:21     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
really? you are compensated at less than half of what the federal minimum wage is, and find this acceptable? i'd love to hear more about that. and please, can we stop with the idea that living in your employer's home, and having to eat "their" food, is a perk? the majority of the threads here are complaining about the cost of having another adult living in your home, eating "your" food, and/or how annoying it is that she is still alive in your house when she's off the clock and therefore no longer of use to you. yes, sounds like a huge treat for your au pair. if you can't afford to pay someone at least minimum wage, you really can't expect them to do much more than the minimum of making sure your children haven't burned the place down while you were out.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 21:16     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
And shouldn't the agency make some profit? This isn't a non-profit. Yes, perhaps they make too much. But who else is going to be the middle man? And yes, I think they could do more for these APs.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 20:51     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
Anonymous wrote:confused why you would expect your au pair to care that you also pay the agency. how does that impact her? they don't see any of that money. they are still receiving $4/hour. would you be okay with being compensated like that at work? what if your boss told you they were actually technically paying you almost double, but that you would never get that money?

That is essentially what my benefit package looks like. Agency fees pay for their visa, airfare, health insurance, the LCC, and of course a huge profit.
We comped our nanny for transportation , but didn't provide, maintain and insure a car. Nor did we pay for our nanny to arrive at our job site. Most other J-1 visa programs do not pay for your airfare over here.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 20:44     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
confused why you would expect your au pair to care that you also pay the agency. how does that impact her? they don't see any of that money. they are still receiving $4/hour. would you be okay with being compensated like that at work? what if your boss told you they were actually technically paying you almost double, but that you would never get that money?

Yes, I would want to know. And APs should know. The financial impact on all parties should be transparent. Who do they think pays for their background checks, managing website, training, LCCs, etc. I certainly don't pay $4/hr for childcare. And yes, APs are too immature to assume on their own so now I am going to spell it out on arrival.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 20:31     Subject: Re:Do most AP expect more than the $200 stipend?
Anonymous wrote:confused why you would expect your au pair to care that you also pay the agency. how does that impact her? they don't see any of that money. they are still receiving $4/hour. would you be okay with being compensated like that at work? what if your boss told you they were actually technically paying you almost double, but that you would never get that money?


Just stop with this. There is an overall compensation package for AP (stipend, housing, food, perks, etc.) so I don't understand why this is a continual issue or at least perceived issue. Most APs are too immature to understand the overall financial investment Host Families contribute to hosting an AP. The lingering lawsuit has caused so much of an uproar and its unfortunate that it's impacting the program in such a negative manner.