| News |
| AU pairs will
not be covered by the national minimum wage after all, the Government has decided. The change of heart was announced by Stephen Byers, the Trade and Industry Secretary, after "wide public consultation". Under the original proposals, employers of Britain's estimated 25,000 au pairs had faced red tape and a doubling of their wage bill. Most au pairs are paid about £40 a week on top of free board and lodging. With a minimum wage of £3 an hour for those aged 18 to 21, that would pay for only 13 hours of work from younger au pairs and about 11 hours from those aged 22 and above, for whom the minimum rate will be £3.60. Peter Cullimore of the Federation of Recruitment and Employment Services, which represents au pair agencies, described the decision as "a triumph for reason and common sense". The federation had argued that young people coming to Britain as au pairs usually wanted to learn English and were part of a "cultural exchange". It believed that classifying them as workers would have discouraged many overseas families from allowing their children to take part in the au pair programme. Au pairs will be entitled to "reasonable leave and rest" under the European working time directive, although they will not be covered by the rules setting out maximum working hours because health and safety regulations do not apply in domestic settings. |
With Thanks To : THE CZECH AUPAIRS AGENCY |