Anyone had a demi-pair/room in exchange for help set up?

[EdenX]

We currently have a traditional au pair, however I will be going on mat leave soon with 3rd child so won't actually need any childcare. I feel like what I will need is some help with cleaning and a night of babysitting a week would be great, plus we will miss having an extra pair of hands in an emergency (for eg I recently had to take a DC to hospital and au pair was on hand to babysit the other one).

We have a spare room. In the past we have hosted language students on a basis of providing a room, Internet and laundry facilities and breakfast and dinner, for £100 a week. I was thinking about offering a similar set up in exchange for 3 hours cleaning a week and some babysitting. Anyone successfully done similar?

Trifle, your whole premise assumes the lodger doesn't have anything else to do though
If this offer was extended to someone with a part time, or even full time job, do you still object as fervently?

sparechange:

Yes. I honestly don't see why what someone else might pay them is relevant, unless you are suggesting the other employer should subsidise the OP?

ActuallyThatsSUPREMECommander:

Well, I think that was different - mutual favours between adults who know each other and arrangements to employ foreign teenagers don't compare in my opinion.

Ok, what about an ad that said
"Room to let in family house, £650 inc bills
Or £500 inc bills if the lodger is happy to do 1 night of babysitting plus a few hours of light cleaning per week"

sparechange:

It's just semantics. It is a job ad. Just for a very underpaid au pair job.

It's clearly not a job ad, is it
It's an ad for accommodation, where the lodger has the option to reduce the amount of rent they pay by doing a few hours work around the house as payment in kind

I've also seen today someone put an ad on a facebook group for someone willing to do stable work mucking out and looking after horses for a few hours a day in return for having a free stable to keep their horse in plus use of their facilities.
At the last look, about 20 people had expressed an interest - is this also objectionable to you?

sparechange:

But we know the OP isn't looking for a lodger, don't we? She is looking for childcare and cleaning. That is why it is semantics.

You seriously can't see what is wrong with taking money from someone and asking them to work for you for free? Disgusting.

Anyway, taking in a lodger and taking in a person you expect to be responsible enough to care for your kids are clearly two different things. If the OP wanted a lodger she could take any old person off the street. She doesn't. She wants someone who will perform important duties in the way she wants them done. That, she should pay for.

You seriously can't see what is wrong with taking money from someone and asking them to work for you for free? Disgusting

You seriously can't see the options being offered, and why it might be appealing for someone to be able to do payment in kind for part of their rent? Baffling

sparechange:

There are lots options being offered! The OP hasn't said she would be open to a lodger who doesn't do the childcare or the cleaning, has she?

*not options

No, she said she is 'thinking about the set up' which sounds a lot like 'exploring the possible options'

I'm trying to find the ad to link, but there was one on my local site recently from someone looking for a person to come and provide an hour or so of babysitting every morning, after the mother left for work but before the child could leave for school
In return for this, she was offering the use of her driveway!

And yes, she got lots of interest from people wanting to save money on parking by doing 5 hours of free babysitting per week

She has posted it in 'Home childcare' - bit of a clue

In return for this, she was offering the use of her driveway!

I am not even sure that is legal.

I have actually just read the OP again - are you seriously considering CHARGING the au pair, not just not paying her?

Please say no.

If you do this, I hope you get caught, as its beyond despicable. Be aware that if you do get caught, you'll get a hefty fine as well as have to pay the back pay you owe her. Its easy to hide behind the internet, but what you're doing will get out and you'll find yourself in trouble for breaking minimum wage law. Or just do the decent thing and pay her as you would as au pair.

I will cap it at 10 hours a week, offer the room worth £42, and give them the option of paying me £14 for all meals, use of the washing machine, internet and TV subscriptions.

And if they don't want to pay you for meals and facilities?

Anyway, I am not sure that even matters. An au pair should get 70 a week pocket money if they work 25 hours, according to the gov.uk website, AND they should have all meals and accommodation thrown in, as well as insurance and transport. They are not lodgers. On that basis, you want just under half of the normal hours so YOU should be paying HER, not the other way round. The commercial arrangements here are almost secondary - this is not on the spirit of this exception to law that allows you to circumvent paying the minimum wage.

Then they can have the £14 and pay for all that outside the house if they want.

Oh I give up. You are quite revolting.

Accommodation plus £14 would cover minimum wage for an under 21 (which is the age of all the students I have spoken to).

Huh?

10 hours weekly at £7 am hour is £70. You can knock off £42 for accommodation. You would then charge them £14 for meals, laundry and TV (weird but okay). Am I incorrect in thinking this adds up to you owing them £14 a week?

Au pair = vile, minimum wage = revolting. Think we will just have to disagree Trifle.