Below is a sample of a formal letter of offer. A letter of offer should clarify all expectations in advance.
Family Name and address
Date
Aupair name and address
Dear aupair
LETTER OF OFFER
We would like to offer you the position of Aupair to our family. The terms and conditions of the job are as follows:
Hours
You will be required to work for approximately hours per week. In addition . nights per week babysitting will be required. Every . weekend, will be spent with the family. You will have long weekends off a month from Friday afternoon to Monday morning.
Duties and responsibilities
Your main duty is the due care of .........................................You will be required to get ......................................... ready for the day, get ......................................... to kindergarten or school, collect ......................................... from kindergarten or school and see to his/their needs in the afternoon. You will also be required to assist with homework, prepare lunch, snacks and dinner as required, bath and change as required, arrange visits with friends, see to after school activities, play games together as well as any thing else that may be necessary for his/their amusement and wellbeing. You will be required to do some cleaning up after ......................................... and yourself (including washing and ironing for ......................................... and yourself and the cleaning of your rooms).
Salary
You will be paid an amount of .. per month / week in arrears. Additional hours will be paid at a rate that we may agree between ourselves from time to time.
Start Date and Period of Employment
You are expected to start on the and to stay for a minimum period of ...................................... If due to circumstances beyond your control or for any other reason, you wish to leave at an earlier date than our agreement, you will be required to give one months notice. If we require you to leave, subject to the conditions specified under discipline, we will give you a minimum of one months notice.
Discipline
Reasons which could give rise to disciplinary measures are as follows:
Causing a disruptive influence in the household.
Job incompetence.
Conduct during or outside working hours prejudicial to our interests.
Unreliability in timekeeping or attendance.
Failure to comply with our reasonable instructions or procedures.
In the event of a need for disciplinary action, the procedure will be:
First - a verbal warning.
Second - a written warning.
Third - dismissal without need for further notice.
Reasons with would give rise to summary dismissal would be:
Theft or other dishonest offences.
Drunkenness.
Illegal drug taking.
Child abuse or neglect.
Holidays
You will have .. weeks paid holidays after .. months of work. Dates must be negotiated ............. weeks in advance.
Accommodation
You will have your own room in our home. We would like you to treat our home as your own. We ask that all rooms be kept tidy and that friends staying over should only do so with our permission. If we go out as a family, you will generally be invited to come with us (at our expense) should you so choose.
School
You will be enrolled at a language school to attend a course in for the duration of your stay.
We look forward to having you with us and are sure that our association will be a long and happy one.
Please sign a copy of this letter as acceptance of its terms and conditions.
Yours faithfully
I have read and accept the above terms and conditions.
_________________________________________
Aupair name
Dated:
What does the family provide for the au pair?
The family pays for the aupairs living expenses, which include room and board. If the au pair needs special dietary items she/he is responsible for this. The aupair is responsible for all personal items such as toiletries, health supplements, hair care items, etc.
A private bedroom should be provided for the aupair. Extra amenities in the room such as TV, stereo, phone, computer, are not required. However, the more comfortable an aupair feels in your home, the more successful the arrangement is likely to be.
The family can expect the aupair to pay for her/his long distance phone calls.
If the aupair drives the children to and from school and activities, and/or does the grocery shopping, the family pays for gas, oil and maintenance. The family can expect the aupair to pay for gas when she/he uses the car for her/his personal errands. You need to ask your insurance company for the options of how to insure the au pair as a driver of your vehicle(s).
She should take her meals with the family and be invited to share in recreational pursuits whenever possible. An Au- Pair is not a qualified child-minder nor domestic. She should receive full instructions before being left in sole charge of the household or with children. During the initial period the Au-Pair will need time to adjust to her new environment and the family must be patient and sympathetic in order to build up a good relationship.
What is a Nanny?
Nannies usually have some type of formal training or have had a lot of experience with children. Nannies usually work full time and are available 24 hours a day. They get 1 or 2 days off per week. Nannies normally have sole responsibility for the child. A nanny signs a contract with her employer.
Do Host Families ever employ male Au Pairs?
Yes they do. Most of the host families we get on this site are looking for females, but that does not mean there are no positions for males. Having a good CV, cover letter and including a photo will help your prospects of finding a job.
What is an Au Pair?
An au pair is (usually) a foreign-national domestic assistant working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs are girls or young women and take on a share of the family's responsibility for child care as well as some housework, and receive a small monetary allowance for personal use.
The title comes from the French term au pair, meaning "on a par" or "equal to", indicating that the relationship is intended to be one of equals: the au pair is intended to become a member of the family, albeit a temporary one, rather than a domestic servant. In the best circumstances, both parties benefit from learning about the other's culture.
What can I expect to be paid as an Au Pair?
We normally see salaries/pocket money offered in the range of £80 to £130, this depends on a number of factors, the au pair's experience, number of hours worked, driving license, range of duties etc and includes free accommodation and food.
How can I expect to be treated?
An au pair should be treated as an equal part of the family, not as a servant, and shall not be required to wear a uniform.
There can be misunderstandings on both sides about what this means. The usual practice is that au pairs eat with the family most of the time, and join in some of the usual family activities such as outings and trips. However, host families normally expect to have some private time to themselves, particularly in the evenings. During this time, an au pair might retire to his or her room to watch television, study, or go out with friends.
The au pair is given a monthly allowance and all expenses are paid by the host family.
How should I interview an Au Pair
If the Au Pair lives abroad the normal method of interviewing them is over the phone. However a lot of Au Pairs are currently living in Ireland, you should interview them face-to-face if possible.
Some Au Pairs also have their Skype contact details on their CVs, this is a cheaper alternative to making a phone call.
What are the duties of an Au Pair
Au pairing can incorporate any number of duties beyond caring for children. It is worth emphasising that the job is often very demanding. Try not to have unrealistic expectations and never be seduced into thinking that you are on holiday. You will no doubt have opportunities that might not have come your way had you stayed at home, but first and foremost you are abroad to work. Your primary duties will revolve around the children.
Most families will expect you not only to keep their children's rooms tidy, but also to do some light housework. `Light housework' is notoriously open to interpretation, however, so do be careful that you are not exploited. It is usual to be asked to dust, vacuum, wash dishes and keep the childrens room clean.
It would be surprising not to be responsible for the children's clothes, though you should not be expected to do any hand washing. The vast majority of families who hire live-in helpers own a washing machine and usually a dryer, which should cut down the time taken to do this chore and on any ironing you may be expected to do.
Normally you will be expected to prepare the children's meals. You might even be required to cook for the adult members of the household sometimes, so be honest about how good you are at cooking and how
much (or little) you enjoy it.
The amount of shopping you will be required to do varies considerably from family to family. Some will expect you merely to pick up a few items at the local grocery store while others will make you responsible for the entire food budget. Usually, the parents will go on a major shopping expedition once a week and leave you to purchase any extras that may be needed.
Candidates with driving licences are at a distinct advantage when applying for jobs since many parents will want you to ferry their children to school, to the doctor/dentist/dance class, etc. Not all parents are willing to lend their au pair or nanny a car, but if they do require you to drive, they will usually allow you to use the car to take the children out for day trips, or even allow you to borrow the car for your own private use during your free time. Always be scrupulous about paying for your own petrol, unless you have come to some arrangement.
Some families prefer foreign au pairs so that they can assist the children with another language. Your task will be made a lot easier if the children share their parents' ideas about the benefits of language learning, not to mention have a certain aptitude. It may be a case of giving a scheduled lesson once a day or simply chatting to them in English or reading them stories.
Au pairs must not be asked to work more than their maximum allowable hours and they must be given at least 2 days a week completely free.
It is important that the "free time" should be genuinely free, that the girl should be at liberty to meet her friends and to go sight-seeing and to concerts, cinemas etc. and that she should have the time and opportunity to attend religious services.
Many Au pairs leave families if they feel they are being taken advantage of in terms of work, so it is in the interest of the family to work out the Au pairs schedule in the form of a written work plan in order to make the best use of her time.
Examples of how your au pair may be expected to help include:
Childcare: Preparing breakfast and an evening meal for the children, taking and collecting children from school and helping with homework, playing games, taking them for walks or to the park, taking them to after school activities and outings, feeding, bathing and reading them bedtime stories.
Housework: dusting, vacuuming, making beds, laundry, simple cooking or the children, helping with family meal preparation
What type of background checks can I carry out on potential employees?
The key to compliance with data protection requirements in this area is to inform the potential employee of any potential checks that may be undertaken and seek their specific consent for certain types of checks, e.g., release of transcripts by University. Any information that is legitimately in the public domain can also be accessed within the context of data protection requirements without giving rise to concerns. Certain sectors, where employees have contact with children or vulnerable adults, are permitted to make use of police vetting checks which are carried out with the consent of the person.
