What is an Au Pair ?

The Cambridge dictionary describes an Au Pair as “a foreign person, usually a young woman, who lives with a family and looks after their children or cleans the house in return for meals, a room, and a small payment”. This is indeed an accurate definition, but a rather cold one. In the vast majority of cases, an Au Pair will become almost a member of the hosting family. After a few months living and working with a given family, the Au Pair will normally develop a life-long friendship with the parents and, especially, with the kids. There are thousands of examples of Au Pairs who lived with a family for a few months or a year but then went on visiting that family from time to time for many years. Of course, everything depends on the very individuals involved and therefore there can’t be any fixed rule as to how things will evolve, but the family-Au Pair connection is usually something much deeper than the one described by Cambridge! 

Being an Au Pair

An Au Pair is a cultural exchange for young people – both male and female – aged 18-27, single with no dependents, who want to improve their level of English whilst living as part of a host family. 

For the Au Pair program you must fit the following:

• age between 18 and 27
• be unmarried and have no children
• be flexible, friendly and open
• be happy to help with childcare and light housework for 25-40 hours per week
• stay for a minimum of 6 months
• stay for a maximum of 24 months
• be fit and healthy
• no criminal record
• basic English knowledge

Working hours

A standard au pair will be expected to:

• work for 5 hours a day 5 days a week
• baby sits 2 evenings per week
• receives 2 free days each week
• weekly salary from £ 60 or € 90

An au pair plus works for longer hours and receives additional pocket money:

• works up to 8 hours, 5 days per week
• baby sits 2-3 evenings per week
• receives at least 1 free day and 3 evenings off
• weekly pay from £ 90 or €130

*Note: Most agencies specify a fixed number of hours to be worked by an au pair plus and the pocket money to be paid but in fact host families and au pairs can agree the number of extra hours appropriate to their circumstances although, it is not recommended that the hours exceed 40 hours a week.

What is expected of an Au Pair ?

An au pair is expected to be an ‘extra pair of hands’ helping with the housework such as:

• Washing dishes, including loading and unloading dishwasher
• Preparing simple meals for children
• Keeping kitchen tidy and clean, including sweeping and mopping floors
• Loading and unloading laundry into washing machine
• Ironing for children
• Putting washed clothes away
• Vacuuming
  
• Dusting
  
• Making and changing children’s beds
  
• Cleaning children’s bathroom
  
• Everything to do with keeping their own room/bathroom clean and tidy
  
• Light shopping (not the household shopping)
  
• Walking and feeding pets
  
• Emptying bins 
• To pay for any telephone calls
• To give at least one week notice.
• The au pair pays for travel expenses to the host country and for their English classes.
  

Notice: List of duties considered unsuitable for an au pair

• Gardening
• Window cleaning
• Spring cleaning
• Cleaning the oven, other than simple wiping out
• Washing carpets
• Washing the car
• Weekly shopping
• Pet training
• Clearing up after untrained pets
• Making parents bed*
• Ironing for parents *
• Cleaning parents’ en-suite bathroom*
• Polishing silver and brassware*
• Cooking the family meal, unless the au pair enjoys cooking ans has chosen to do this for the family

* these duties can be included where there is less childcare and the children are out of the house for most of the day

What an Au Pair expects from the Family: 

• To be treated as part of the family.
  
• To have her/his own room, with heating!
  
• To be allowed time to go to language school in addition to their two days off per week (within reason).
  
• To have two full days off per week in addition to time spent at language school.
  
• To be paid extra money if they have to babysit for more than  2  nights per week or if they are asked to work more than 25 hours per week (excluding 2 nights babysitting).
  
• To be met by either the family themselves or a representative for the family at either the airport, bus station or train station at which they arrive in the host country.  If the family cannot meet the au pair at the said airport etc.,  then onward travel should be paid for by the host family, and this should be agreed and discussed before the au pair’s arrival in the host country, so that the au pair knows exactly where to go and what to do upon arrival in the host country.
  
• To be given at least one week notice.

How about free time ?

An au pair should have 2 days and several evenings per week of free time. New friends are usually quickly made through English classes and children’s activities. In the first weeks, you can ask the host family to help locate other au pairs in the area.

Travel costs

The au pair is expected to arrange and pay for her travel to the UK and the host family should meet her at the point of arrival in the UK or if that is not possible they should provide a ticket for the remainder of the journey to their home. You should ensure that you always have either a return ticket or the financial resources to enable you to return home should you wish to do so.

Holiday entitlement

An au pair should be given one weeks paid holiday for every six months worked.

Healthcare 

While in the UK au pairs will usually be entitled to treatment through the National Health Service and you host families should help you register with the family doctor on arrival.

Smoking 

Most of the families do not agree to welcome smoking aupairs. Some sort of exception can be made for the "social" smokers (smoking only at social events). The aupair is never allowed to smoke in the house or anywhere around children. 

Notice period

If you wish to leave the position you should give the family at least one weeks notice. In practice please give the family as much notice as you can as it will take a while for them to arrange alternative childcare. 

Driving in Great Britain

If you are willing to drive in Britain you will need to apply for an International Driving Permit before you travel to the UK.
If your host family in Britain wishes you to drive for them, they will organise all relevant car insurance cover, but you will need to show the number of your IDP to them. You do not need take an English driving test to drive in the UK, but if your family offers to pay for lessons with a driving instructor we would recommend you accept them, as it will help make you feel more secure driving on the 'wrong side' of the road!

You can find information about foreign nationals driving in the UK at http://www.dvla.gov.uk