Asad
We know times are rough. With the worldwide pandemic going on, and the economy in the gutter, it’s hard to find a job. It’s hard to go anywhere and do anything that you usually could, it really makes you think about the finer things in life, even a minimum wage job would be fine to a lot of people who lost theirs. But having said that, there really is no describing the kind of audacity it took to make a job listing like this one.
An Au Pair is a live-in nanny, someone who looks after the kids, makes sure they wake up on time, and goes to bed on time, and otherwise looks after them. This is a high standard of nannying, not your run-of-the-mill kid-next-door looking after your child, but a seasoned veteran of the nanny sector with high standards and class. You only hire one if you can afford the luxuries, but apparently, these people didn’t get the memo.
Source: Reddit
It starts off with a massive list of requirements
It’s actually not uncommon to underpay for an Au Pair, as CNBC notes:
Every year, around 20,000 young women and men come to the United States as au pairs to care for children, learn about American culture and improve their English. The cultural exchange program is organized by the federal government and is especially popular among families who need flexible childcare at an affordable rate.
And then, the responsibilities.
Host families pay a sponsoring agency $8,000 upfront and the au pair a $195.75 weekly stipend, room and board and a $500 education credit. In return, the au pair can work up to 45 hours per week. When all the funds are counted, au pairs are left with $4.35 per hour in their pockets.
And the pre-requisites
The au pair program falls under the State Department J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program, which was originally set up to promote U.S. foreign policy objectives between the U.S. and other countries through educational and cultural exchange. Initially, it brought foreign scholars to the U.S. but has since been extended to 15 programs, including the au pair program.
And the Education/Experience
The combination of cultural exchange and affordable childcare has sparked a lot of criticism. Opponents of the program argue that the wages are set below minimum wage laws while long working hours prevent au pairs from embracing the cultural exchange and education. Advocates of the program say it provides a unique vignette into a foreign culture and helps stem rising childcare costs in America.
And people were not happy that it paid $13/hr
They were mildly upset
The requests can be as unreasonable as they want as long as they pay appropriately.
They don’t want a nanny, they want an underpaid surrogate parent
Arby’s looks better, doesn’t it?
What did you think? Would you take the job? Tell us down in the comments!