Au-pair in London - duties and pocket money

[Minki]

Just about to hire an au-pair for my 4 and 6 year old and wanted to check what I am offering is ok. She will be looking after them from 3-7pm 5 days per week plus babysitting once a week or fortnight. I told her that I also expect her to help the kids keep their rooms clean and tidy (and the parts (kitchen, lounge etc) and to do the kids laundry (but not ironing as we have a cleaner who does all the ironing). When she is looking after the children I would expect her to do the usual things, i.e collect from school, park, playdates, homework, cook them dinner, bath etc. I may also ask her to run errands occasionally, e.g. get bits and pieces of shopping etc. For this I was going to pay her 80 per week plus 20 towards travel. 20 is basically enough for a bus pass but not a full travelcard which is about 32 but she will not need to use the tube for the job, only the bus and even then only a couple of times a week as everywhere is within walking distance. She looked a bit dismayed when I said I didn't want to pay for a full travelcard. She will be doing a language course 5 mornings a week (9-1pm) so I think she wanted all travel paid. She will only have to top up by 11 I guess. Travel is expensive though and I often think twice about whether I need a travelcard! Obviously we will also pay for her food etc and she will have accommodation (double room overlooking the garden, sharing a bathroom with the kids) plus phone etc. Does this all sound ok or should I fork out for a full travelcard? It would mean that I am spending 110 a week on pocket money and travel, plus food (estimate at least 30) which isn't that far off what I would pay for a live out after-school nanny. Stony broke so cost is factor but want to make sure she is fairly compensated. Also a bit worried about the language course as it means she will never be able to help out in the morning. I was intending to do the school run most days but would have liked her to cover 1-2 days per week so that i can go into work early, or on time even. Any views?

OP, I just realised that £32 would be for the tube and bus. Sorry, I didn;t use a weekly pass for a long time, I just remember it was expensive. If £20 covers the bus pass, then it's reasonable.

I don't say that you should pay her more than £80. I just said that £80 wasn't on the high side of the pay (which is OK as you are flexible with her not doing the mornings and she knew the pay before she came) but you should cover at least the bus pass price, IMO.

Sounds a fair deal to me especially as hours are reduced with no cleaning duties. Is the bus pass not getting you anywhere as much as a travelcard (only not by subway?)

I otherwise feel your pain - have not been back on these boards since my last mat leave and forgot how nippy it can be. My forray yesterday was a good reminder,
but there are still a few kind helpful folks about.

Here is the government advice re au pairs:

Au pairs

Au pairs usually live with the family they work for and are unlikely to be classed as a worker or an employee. They aren’t entitled to the National Minimum Wage or paid holidays.

They’re treated as a member of the family they live with and get ‘pocket money’ instead - usually about £70 to £85 a week.

Au pairs may have to pay Income Tax and National Insurance, depending on how much pocket money they get.

An au pair isn’t classed as a worker or an employee if most of the following apply:
they’re a foreign national living with a family in the UK
they’re an EU citizen or have entered the UK on a Youth Mobility visa or student visa
they’re here on a cultural exchange programme
they’ve got a signed letter of invitation from the host family that includes details of their stay, eg accommodation, living conditions, approximate working hours, free time, pocket money
they learn about British culture from the host family and share their own culture with them
they have their own private room in the house, provided free of charge
they eat their main meals with the host family, free of charge
they help with light housework and childcare for around 30 hours a week, including a couple of evenings babysitting
they get reasonable pocket money
they can attend English language classes at a local college in their spare time
they’re allowed time to study and can practise their English with the host family
they sometimes go on holiday with the host family and help look after the children
they can travel home to see their family during the year

So I think OPs offer of £80 plus phone and travel is reasonable. Of course she will want to do language classes; that's part of the reason for her visit. But do you need to pay for the phone? Why not just pay for the travel card?

If you have a lovely room that would attract £700 -£800 in rent per month, then rent it out and get an after school nanny or use a child-minder. Financially that seems the best option.

I think what you must realise OP is that your problems are not the au pairs. Yes being a single parent is hard but I'm afraid that's your problem.
And I speak as someone who knows how hard it is. But the au pair needs to feel relaxed in the home and it sounds as if you are just resentful of her being able to do the classes etc.

£80 plus phone plus bus travel seems fair for 3/7 so 20hrs a week

An after school nanny would be £240 + at Prob £12gross an hour

Generally an ap helps out am as well 730/9 am - so see if she can change her course. Plus every day course is a lot to do

Do you need to do the phone? Many ap and nannies have own phone

What happens in holidays?

Does the bus pass cover the whole of London? Because if so then its utterly reasonable you can get to pretty much all of London. By bus . if bus pass only gets you around local area then top up the travel card so the kid can actually see something of the city.