| How long will it take to find an au pair for my family?
What is the difference between a "Normal" Au Pair, and an Au Pair "Plus"?
Do I need to pay any fee for this service?
If I am not happy with the au pair, can I change my au pair?
We don't have children, but we need someone for our garden and pets.
What is the general pay range for au pairs?
How much should I pay during the holidays?
There is no college available in our area. Can we have an au pair?
In the UK, do we need to pay National Insurance for the au pair?
What should we provide in the au pairs room?
What's the general policy on letting the au pair use the phone?
If the au pair has to go home suddenly who is responsible for the flight arrangements and payment?
Do you still have a question? Contact us and we will see how we can help.
How long will it take to find an au-pair for my family? This will depend very much on your family's needs; the area where you live; your situation; and the number and ages of the children who will be looked after by the au pair. We find suitable au pairs for many families shortly after their application to us.
What's the difference between a "Normal" Au Pair and an Au Pair "Plus"? In the UK and Ireland, a "Normal" Au Pair works a 25-hour* week, and has two days off per week (normally Saturday and Sunday). An Au Pair Plus works up to 35 hours per week, and has one full day off per week. *In France, this is a 30-hour week. (See also What is the general pay range for au pairs?)
Do I need to pay any fee for this service? We request a registration fee of £30, and a placement fee (based on the planned length of stay) which becomes due when the au pair accepts the offer and provides a start date. If I am not happy with the au-pair, can I change him/her? If, within the first 14 days of arrival, the au pair proves unsuitable, we will provide one free replacement as soon as possible. You must notify us in writing, within the 14-day period, stating the reasons for dissatisfaction with the placement.
Yes, our male au pairs come with a good level of English and (as with all our au pairs) excellent child-care references. We don't have children, but we need someone for our garden and pets. It is not necessary to have children to employ someone from an EU country. We strongly recommend that you employ a male au pair for this kind of work.
What is the general pay range for au pairs? For the UK, Home Office guidelines recommend a minimum of £55 per week (£75 for Au Pair Pluses). For London-based au pairs, expect to pay around £10-£15 more. This must be paid weekly to the au pair.
Republic of Ireland (ROI): In the ROI, au pairs' pocket money is covered by the minimum wage structure, therefore the minimum equation in the ROI is as follows: 25 hrs & Eur5.97 per hr = Eur149.25 Minus government set live in allowance of Eur57.14 Total minimum pocket money to au pair Eur92.11.
France: The minimum for a "Normal" (30hrs/week) au pair is Eur72.
Bear in mind that these are minima. It is up to you whether you pay more to your au pair.
How much should I pay during the holidays? Although the weekly hours for a Normal Au Pair and Au Pair Plus are up to 25 and 35, respectively, it is quite acceptable for the au pair to do additional hours during the school holidays. In the UK, a reasonable rate for holiday work is an additional £6.50 per day, assuming you are not asking the au pair to work more than an extra 3-4 hours per day.
There is no college available in our area. Can we have an au-pair? Unfortunately, no. Au pairs come to the UK primarily to learn or improve their English. It is very important for them to attend an English language course.
In the UK, do we need to pay National Insurance for the au pair? Au pairs are not classed as employees, and families are note required to pay National Insurance Contributions for au pairs. However, in France, the host family must pay social security on behalf of the au pair.
What should we provide in the au pair's room?
Minimally, the au pair should have a radio/CD player in their room. It is sometimes helpful to provide a small portable television, but this is to the family's discretion.
What's the general policy on letting the au pair use the phone? Some families may have a policy on phone calls from the home. Whilst the general rule is that the au pair may call home for a short chat each week, some families choose to include this in the au pair's privileges, while others choose to deduct it from the pocket money. Paying half the cost of a phone card (which offers lower tariffs) is a good compromise.
If the au pair has to go home suddenly who is responsible for the flight arrangements and payment? The au pair is responsible for his/her travel costs, and should always ensure that s/he has either a return ticket, or enough funds to return home.
Bear in mind that your "contract" is with your au pair, not her friends. If you are paying at least the minimum weekly rate (see above), and she has agreed to the rate, you are doing nothing wrong. If you feel she deserves a raise based on merit, then by all means give her one. (To avoid these types of disagreement, always agree the rate when the au pair starts. We have a pro-forma agreement that we can send to you, following the placement of one of our candidates with you.)
Do you still have a question? Contact us and we will see how we can help.
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