WHAT SHOULD BE IN MY AU PAIR CONTRACT?

Au pairs and host families regularly contact us to ask about an au pair contract. Do I need an au pair contract? And what should be in an au pair contract?

We always recommend that au pairs and host families have a number of Skype calls before agreeing to an au pair stay. During these skype calls you should discuss, hours of work, light housework, working schedule, English classes and holidays. It's really important that you discuss and agree on everything from hours to agreed light housework, working schedule etc. This way you can both talk about your own expectations and iron out any potential issues. This is an invaluable opportunity for you to understand if you and your potential host family/au pair will be a good match for each other or not. 

Do I need an au pair contract?
We recommend that every family and au pair sign an au pair contract before agreeing to an au pair placement. An au pair should not book their flight before this contract has been signed and agreed to by both the au pair and the family.

In the au pair contract you should include all aspects concerning the au pair placement. These include:

1. working hours and time off
2. weekly pocket money including the day that this will be paid
3. working schedule
4. paid holidays (an au pair should receive 1 week of paid holidays for every 6 months)
5. required notice if the placement needs to be terminated* 
6. the date of commencement and end of the au pair placement

These are the most important conditions of your placement, so you should make sure that you and your family/ au pair agree upon them from the beginning. For example, if the au pair chooses to attend English classes, they mist be given enough time off to attend these. An au pair should never be asked to mind the children when they have to attend English classes.

Time off

Discussing the days you are available and your time off is very important too. Usually au pairs are entitled to a full weekend off per month, one full day off at the weekends and 5 free evenings per week. Anything different than this should be agreed upon in advance and it should be written down in the contract.

Pocket money

Once you have agreed on the number of hours you are available for your family, then you should discuss the pocket money with them. We recommend that you check beforehand what the average pocket money is in the country that you chose to move to, so that you have an idea whether your family is offering you a fair amount of money or not. Please see our recommended pocket money here.....

Duties & responsibilities

Au pairs main priority is to mind the family’s children. This could mean picking them up from school, helping them with their homework, playing with them in their spare time and generally anything that related to the children. Au pairs would usually help the family and stay with the children during the day, but families are allowed to ask for 1 or 2 nights babysitting per week depending on the au pairs hours. Again if you need babysitting, this should go into the au pair contract.

In addition to minding the children, au pairs are usually required to help their host families with a few household chores, such as: making snacks and ironing for the children, vacuuming the children’s room, washing dishes, etc. Even in this case, if there is any particular light housework that you have agreed to do with your host family, you should include it in the contract.

Start and end date of the placement

These dates have to be discussed in advance and have to be included in the agreement. Should the au pair or the family terminate the placement before the agreed terms, both parties are due to give at least a two weeks’ notice. Also, the contract should state the family’s right to end the agreement immediately in case of gross misconduct (such as theft, forgery, deceit, violence, etc.).

Terms & conditions

Other important details that should be made clear on the agreement are:

• Travel costs: au pairs have to provide for their own travel expenses
• Behaviour: host families should clarify how they expect their au pair to behave (be punctual, respectful, etc.) and what is not acceptable behaviour for them (such as what time the au pair needs to be home if they are minding the children the following day)
• Language spoken in the house: the au pair will participate in the family’s life and speak their language with the kids, unless otherwise required (for example, the family might request that the au pair teach her own language to the children, because they want them to learn a second language).

To see Kangaroo au pair's au pair contract, please click the following  link. Please feel free to download and print off.

*There are certain specific occasions when an au pair placement can be terminated without notice.

What is ‘light housework’?

This is a question that we regularly get from host families and au pairs alike. As an au pair, you know that among your duties you will have to help your family doing some light household chores, but what exactly does this entail? 

Our advice is always to discuss your duties with your future host family or au pair prior to starting your placement. It is also recommended to include this information in the au pair contract. If, for example, your host family needs you to sweep the kitchen once a day, this should go into your au pair contract. This way you know that it is expected and if you feel that you are not happy to do it, you can tell this to your host family before your placement begins.

We recommend approximately 1 hour of light housework per day. Light housework is the everyday housework that a family would undertake everyday. These are not the jobs that you might do once per week or less. Remember an au pair's priority is to help to take care of the children.

Light housework that is suitable for an au pair:

• Preparing simple meals and snacks for children
• Keeping the kitchen tidy and cleaning the floors
• Loading and unloading laundry into the washing machine
• Hanging the laundry out and taking the laundry in
• Ironing the children's clothes
• Putting clothes away
• Vacuuming children’s bedrooms and communal areas
• Keeping the children's bedrooms tidy
• Making and changing children’s beds
• Keeping your own room/bathroom clean and tidy
• Doing light shopping (not the entire household shopping)
• Walking and feeding pets (if agreed beforehand)
• Washing dishes and loading/unloading the dishwasher

Housework that is considered not suitable for an au pair: 

• Gardening 
• Window cleaning 
• Gardening 
• Spring cleaning 
• Heavy housework such as cleaning out the oven 
• Cleaning pets 
• Washing the car 
•     Weekly shopping 
• Clearing up after untrained pets 
• Pet training 
• Cleaning and tidying the parents bedroom 
• Polishing
• Cooking the family meal, unless the Au Pair enjoys cooking and has chosen to do this for the family

We always suggest that au pairs and host families get in touch by phone or on Skype to get to know each other. This is a good opportunity for you to touch this subject with them and if you think that your family is asking too much, don’t be scared to let them know how you feel about that. It could be the case that your host family is unaware of what they can expect from you and they’ll be more than happy to adjust their expectations to what is normal for an au pair. Being open with your host family is the first step to have a great relationship with them!

The au pair and the host family should always bear in mind that an au pair's first priority is to look after their children and your family can only ask you to do some day-to-day household tasks, and these should mainly be related to the children. 

Au Pair Responsibilities UK

 What can I expect from my au pair? 

 Depending on the country you are based in you can expect different things from your au pair. In the UK a standard au pair will usually work for 25-30 hours per week. An au pair may have some childcare/babysitting experience but does not have formal childcare qualifications. Standard au pairs cannot take sole charge of children under the age of 2.

• Au pairs are aged between 17-27 and their chief purpose for being in the country is to learn the language and assimilate the culture.
• An au pair lives with you and should be treated as part of the family. Au pairs earn board and lodging and a small amount of money each week in return for childcare and light housework.
• Many people tend to lump nannies and au pairs into the same category but they are totally different. Au pairs are NOT nanny-substitutes, and usually have no formal childcare training. R.E.C (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) stipulates that au pairs should never have sole charge of children under the age of two.
• Au pairs are often seen as the 'Cinderellas' of the childcare industry. Agencies are often faced with problems of au pairs being treated as cheap labour by people who should be employing qualified nannies. Frequently they are left alone with young children for long hours and given heavy housework duties far in excess of what they should be asked to do.
• An au pair should have their own bedroom and be allowed proper time to study English.
• Visit The British Au Pair Agencies Association for more information

Duties:
Assist with light housework, help in the kitchen and care for school age children. They should also be available for babysitting one or two evenings per week.
Qualifications:
Au pairs have no formal training in caring for children and may have little or no experience.
- See more at: http://www.bestbear.co.uk/childcare-information/au-pairs.php#sthash.f6lpfsDk.dpuf

 An au pair is often called an older sister in their host family as the au pair lives as part of the family during the time that they stay with the family, rather than being an employee.

A standard au pair can be expected to:
-Work 25-30 hours per week but au pairs from the EU can work up to 35 hours per week.
-one to two evenings of babysitting per week (with a maximum of one of these to be at the weekend).
-To have one full day off at the weekend and one full weekend off per month.
-Have 5 free evenings per week.
-A standard au pair is most suitable for a family with school going children (a mother's help is more suitable for families with very young children).

What do I need to provide my au pair with?
An au pair should have their own room and have all meals provided. An au pair will pay for their own travel expenses and language classes unless otherwise agreed with their host family. Au pairs often study English classes and should be allowed to attend these.

What  housework can I expect my au pair to do?
An au pair's main responsibility is childcare but an au pair can be expected to carry out some household duties. We usually recommend that an au pair does approximately 1 hour of housework per day. Duties include housework related to the children such as keeping the children's toys and bedrooms tidy, giving them snacks. An au pair can also be expected to keep the kitchen tidy, the children's laundry and some hoovering. An au pair is not usually expected to cook the family dinner but in some cases an au pair will enjoy cooking dinner for the family on occassion. We usually recommend that an au pair does approximately 1 hour of housework per day.

Insurance
An au pair from the EU does not require additional health insurance as they are covered under the National Health System. 

What holidays does my au pair get?
The BAPAA recommends 4 weeks holidays per year as well as all bank/public holidays. British Au Pair Agencies Association

Pocket money
Pocket money of between £75-£85 per week (depending on hours) should be paid on an agreed day each week.

For more information please contact us at info@kangarooaupair.com or call us on  0044 203 1511660

Duties:
Assist with light housework, help in the kitchen and care for school age children. They should also be available for babysitting one or two evenings per week.
Qualifications:
Au pairs have no formal training in caring for children and may have little or no experience.
- See more at: http://www.bestbear.co.uk/childcare-information/au-pairs.php#sthash.f6lpfsDk.dpuf

• Au pairs are aged between 17-27 and their chief purpose for being in the country is to learn the language and assimilate the culture.
• An au pair lives with you and should be treated as part of the family. Au pairs earn board and lodging and a small amount of money each week in return for childcare and light housework.
• Many people tend to lump nannies and au pairs into the same category but they are totally different. Au pairs are NOT nanny-substitutes, and usually have no formal childcare training. R.E.C (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) stipulates that au pairs should never have sole charge of children under the age of two.
• Au pairs are often seen as the 'Cinderellas' of the childcare industry. Agencies are often faced with problems of au pairs being treated as cheap labour by people who should be employing qualified nannies. Frequently they are left alone with young children for long hours and given heavy housework duties far in excess of what they should be asked to do.
• An au pair should have their own bedroom and be allowed proper time to study English.
• Visit The British Au Pair Agencies Association for more information

Duties:
Assist with light housework, help in the kitchen and care for school age children. They should also be available for babysitting one or two evenings per week.
Qualifications:
Au pairs have no formal training in caring for children and may have little or no experience.
- See more at: http://www.bestbear.co.uk/childcare-information/au-pairs.php#sthash.f6lpfsDk.dpuf