General Program Rules
Work hours
According to the U.S. Department of State regulations, your au pair is allowed to work no more than 45 hours per week, with a maximum of 10 hours in any one day. This 45-hour limit includes the direct care of your children and all childcare-related tasks. The children’s sleeping time is counted as work time if your au pair is alone with the children. Although many families give their au pairs the entire weekend off, your au pair should always receive at least one and a half consecutive days off each week, including her/his Sabbath, as well as one full weekend (Friday night to Monday morning) off per month. It is your responsibility to initiate a discussion about holidays and to mutually determine which holidays your au pair will be off-duty. Your au pair is responsible for your children only during the 45 hours you have outlined in your schedule.
Education
Au pairs need to take six (6) credits or have between 72-90 hours of classroom instruction in a formal classroom setting at an accredited post-secondary institution to satisfy their visa requirements.
Weekly schedule
A weekly schedule, not exceeding 45 hours (with a maximum of 10 hours in any one day), should be clearly laid out at the beginning of every week. A schedule allows your au pair to know when s/he is free to make plans. Many host families have found that a written list of specific tasks helps to avoid confusion about an au pair’s duties. We suggest you outline these duties and detail the most important ones. If you need your au pair to work at a time outside of her/his normal work schedule (i.e., a Sunday afternoon while you attend a wedding), we encourage you to give your au pair as much advance notice as possible. Since most au pairs typically have evenings and weekends off, they tend to make plans with friends during this free time. The Daily Communication Log contains blank schedule pages to facilitate this process.
On- vs. off-duty
Imagine the following scene: your entire family is sitting at the dinner table and the children become restless. Your au pair is officially “off duty” this evening, but feels responsible for the children. Who should attend to the children? Unfortunately, there are no concrete rules governing this type of situation. Please keep in mind that, like you, your au pair has had a long day at work. For her/him, however, it is particularly difficult to feel “off-duty” because of the fact that she/he works at home. From the very beginning, it is important for your au pair to know that you recognize when “official” work time is over.
Weekly stipend
The weekly stipend of $195.75* you pay to your au pair is to be considered a living stipend, not a salary. The stipend is based on a formula that includes the federal minimum wage and a housing credit. You must choose a particular day of the week to pay your au pair. It is also a good idea for you to get a receipt from your au pair verifying that she/he actually received the money.
Please be aware that you cannot withhold payment for any reason, including an auto accident, outstanding telephone bill, lost time due to illness or other damages. Withholding or changing the amount of the stipend is a violation of the U.S. Department of State regulations.
Au pair vacation policy
Your au pair is guaranteed one and one half consecutive days off each week, one full weekend (Friday evening to Monday morning) off per month and two calendar weeks (14 days) of paid vacation during the year. The two weeks of vacation do not have to be taken consecutively. There are no designated holidays for au pairs; however, it is important to discuss international holidays and religious observance so that plans can be made accordingly. Your au pair eagerly anticipates her/his vacation as an opportunity to see more of the United States and therefore might want to plan early.
Although it is up to you and your au pair to plan vacation time, Cultural Care Au Pair suggests au pairs take the first week of vacation within the first six months and then take the second week during the remaining six months. Vacations should always be mutually convenient. Please note: should your au pair be replaced during the year, you will be responsible for accommodating the remaining vacation time (including the weekly stipend) your new au pair might not have taken. Au pairs on a 12- or 9-month extension are entitled to two weeks of paid vacation. Au pairs on a 6-month extension are entitled to one week of paid vacation.
Family vacations
If you require your au pair to accompany you on a family vacation and she/he will be considered “on-duty” during this time, you are expected to pay for all expenses, in addition to the weekly stipend. Please keep in mind that this time does not count as your au pair’s vacation time. If you invite your au pair to join your family on vacation as part of her/his vacation time (meaning s/he will not be responsible for providing any childcare whatsoever), your au pair should pay for her/his own expenses. We encourage you to make this very clear from the beginning and give your au pair a good idea of how much money she/he will need for the trip. Do not be offended if your au pair declines your generous invitation. Most au pairs have a limited budget and might prefer to spend their two weeks of vacation with friends.
Sick days
Days when your au pair is sick and cannot work are not considered vacation time and cannot be deducted from your au pair’s weekly stipend. In the event your au pair is seriously ill or injured for a long period of time, you should contact your LCC. For information about coverage and deductibles, please reference the Medical Insurance section of InfoSource.
Weekly meetings
You should plan to set aside a specific time each week to discuss your au pair’s work schedule and responsibilities. Informal meetings seem to work best but be sure to discuss all issues (good and bad) that come up during that week. Do not ignore problems—if they are not discussed, they will only get worse. It is also appropriate at this time to review your au pair’s schedule for the upcoming week and answer any questions your au pair may have.
In your weekly meetings with your au pair be sure to discuss all the issues—work schedules, children’s activities, conflicts, successes, etc. In addition to your weekly meetings, have as many spontaneous discussions as needed to keep things running smoothly. If you want your au pair to change the way she/he is performing a particular task, or if you would like to add a new responsibility, be sure to let her/him know directly.
Household rules
Many of our host families have not yet experienced living with a young person between the ages of 18 and 26. Cultural Care au pairs are typically very independent, excited about experiencing new things, and eager to learn about living in a foreign country. You should treat your au pair as an adult. Although you will undoubtedly want to give her/him as much freedom as possible, it is much easier to adjust or eliminate rules according to the trust you have established than to add or tighten rules later in the year. Using the Household Handbook, we encourage you to immediately establish concrete and reasonable household rules regarding issues such as smoking, overnight guests, use of the car, curfews, etc.
*The current weekly au pair stipend is $195.75 per week. The calculation used to determine the au pair stipend amount is a combination of the federal minimum wage as well as a room and board allowance. The exact calculation used to determine the weekly stipend is as follows:
Minimum wage amount x 45 hours - 40% (room and board allowance) = au pair stipend amount
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