Hello.
I work as an au pair and I have a few concerns. I would really appreciate if you could give me your advice.
I work for a family with 2 children. The younger daughter is 10 and the older one is 23. What we agreed upon, with the parents, when we chatted on Skype, before moving in with them, was obviously looking after the young girl and doing light housework. The housework included hoovering the house, dusting, ironing, laundry.
When I first moved in, and also for a few months things were fine, but I realised that I was the only one doing all the cleaning. And from the duties previously mentioned I ended up being asked to do the windows, cleaning the radiators, all the cleaning, all the dusting, kitchen being cleaned separately, I also had to clean the oven, the dishwasher, clean all their dishes ( that they would just leave in the sink, dirty) change their bed sheets, iron the bed sheets and all their clothes (not only the kid's clothes). They also have 5 bathrooms that I have to clean by myself every week. On top of that I need to mop the floors, clean all the spider webs, the fire places. Basically everything that has to do with cleaning. Everything that can be cleaned in this house I need to do, including cleaning their daughter's room and tidying the mother's make up products. I work around 36 hours a week (M-F) and they also tell me that I need to work when they have guests or parties on the weekends but they never pay me for those extra hours. And sometimes they just go shopping during the weekends and leave the girl at the house, so I need to look after her.
What is more, I am the one cutting the onions, vegetables and salad for dinner everyday.
I feel more of a house cleaner than an au pair. And I also feel like they, especially her, doesn't really care about other things as long as I clean her house. Also I feel that she just used the girl as an excuse to get a cleaner, pretending she needed an au pair. Although she is never in charge of the little girl, I am the one showing her around and teaching her everything. When I first arrived the girl didn't even know how to tie her shoe laces, how to blow her nose, how to put her things back in their place etc. I showed her and taught her to do all that.
He is a lawyer and she is a doctor.
I don't know what I should do, because they don't treat me bad, they are not rude but somehow in a very discreet way they just ask me to do more and more.And when I try to talk to her, she barely lets me speak, always saying that I am like a daughter to them and I eat at the same table with them. Leaving no space for me to complain or just tell them what I feel.
I am paid 80£ a week.
I don't know exactly what type of housework au pairs are supposed to be doing and I am very confused.
Kathy