Au pair for a year: do you expect the family to pay for a holiday trip home or not?

Under employment law you are required to give them so much paid holiday. 28 days for a full year (20 days plus the bank holidays though the bank holidays don't have to be taken on the bank holiday - IYSWIM).

I too look for APs who are prepared to commit for a year and understand the need to provide a proper package, but would never pay for flight to and from the UK.

If they are coming from outside of Europe it is a condition of their visa that they have sufficient funds of their own to pay for the flight home when they enter the UK.

Paying for the trip back comes under the discretionary bonus heading, if they are doing a good job and you want to give them a mid-year bonus then the trip home would be nice, but I would never write it into the contract.

No, the au pair pays for her ticket to come and is also responsible for getting back home again at the end of the contract, although if you give notice ealry to the au pair if it doesn't work out then I think you should pay the return leg.

I always give my au pairs a visit home as a christmas present - paying for both ticket and (if I like them particularly) giving them paid instead of unpaid holiday.

Sayign that, I have never offered it as a package at the start, it is given as a surprise after a couple of months - that way they are really pleased and motivated (rather than expecting it as a right)

If you are recruiting from outside of Europe and the air fare is very high then it is normal to offer to help fund the flight and then recoveer the money via reduced pocket money over a couple of months. But beware of scams.