Au pair asking for £900/ month +

[MrsPixieMoo]

It's been just over two years since I last hosted an au pair. At that time we gave £70 weekly pocket money. The au pairs were part of our family, did 3 hours light housework and 2 hours childcare per day, with weekends free. We paid for additional babysitting.

I've just been looking again for an au pair (different circumstances and my older DD is now in school, I have a baby and am at home but work from home)

So there are two children but no sole charge. I also had two stepsons but they are now both at uni and don't live with us or need an au pair on the occasions that they visit. (apart from being friend
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Fat thumbs.

Basically, I found someone who was lovely and perfect for us but she told me she is currently paid £900/ month as an au pair and wants at lews

You say work from home but no sole charge of the baby?

Yes. I work when she sleeps.

You don't pay au pairs £900 a month. I think £450 would be the absolute max for genuine au pair duties. Is she doing au pair plus? Even so I think that's very, very steep.

£900 for 5hours a day. She is having a laugh!!!

I would go back and clarify the number of hours...

Who's looking after baby whilst you work then? Will au pair be looking after them?

At lews?

Hours were clear. Not au pair plus. Thanks for clarifying this is not usual.

Was it on greataupair? I tried it this time as someone had recommended it, and had a lot of applicants who wanted silly money for our very normal 25hour/a week shared care au pair job.

Sounds far too high for an aupair doing 25 hours a week.
Would expect it to be half that or even a bit less depending on location.

Wow never heard of any au pair on that much.

Yes it was great au pair. Thank you.

I pay £130 a week for au pair plus in London, which is top dollar. That's way too much (and would get you into NI territory).

I stopped using great AP because it was full of people doing stuff other than AP work, full of nannies, and full of APs who thought they were nannies.

I stopped and went to AP-World and made sure that my profile states 'the AP will be earning £x for Y hours and all weekends free'. It stopped all this angst.

Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to pay for a childminder or nursery for a couple of hours a day and a cleaner?

Way too much for an aupair. This is more like live in part-time nanny rate. I've worked out the hourly for you - it comes to £8.30 plus of course all her bed and board full time. She's having a laugh. You could just employ someone local to pop in to help out for that. Or less. Without all the faff of having them live with you.

What does she offer that makes her ideal to you?

I was an au pair for two years - the first year I was paid 80euros (£60) a week and the second I was paid over 250euros (about £185) a week.

Entirely depends on what's being asked

Just to add to the clamour, this is WAY too much for an au pair. Definitely not pocket money. That's more like a wage for a nanny, and as someone else said, raises issues of tax, NI, etc.
We have a wonderful au pair whom we pay £80 / week. I think this is very normal, or perhaps £10 or £20 a week more, but definitely not £900 / month.

Thanks everyone. To be clear, I'm not considering her at all as that sort of money is way above what we could afford. I just wanted to check what's usual.

Thanks too to everyone who made alternative suggestions. No nursery close by and no good for my older DC who is in school.

I will find someone with more realistic expectations.

She's having a laugh. Absolute top end £520 a month which is £120 a week.

It's a buyers market though-does she know it's a remote area with few other options for parents and is trying her luck!?