An au pair tends to be a young person, most often a female, although occasionally au pairs are male. An au pair is someone from another country that looks after the children of a family that provide accommodation as part of the arrangements with au pair for their services. Au pairs tend to receive payment in addition to accommodation for their work.
This word of the day is in fact two words., but we thought as these words are used together, it just about fits the criteria for ‘word of the day’.
The word au pair is a noun of French origin. In French au pair translates to ‘on equal terms’.
The attraction for au pairs to do this work is that they experience other countries and cultures whilst earning money in the safety of a family’s residence. Sometimes au pairs attend colleges and universities in the country that they are working.
In many countries, au pairs are not classed as workers. The reimbursement package is seen as an agreement that offers value in ways other than direct monetary reimbursement for time. Most often au pairs receive contributions as ‘pocket money’ type donations in addition to accommodation, food, and access to necessary utilities. The laws in each country are likely to differ and this paragraph is a rough guide based on the author’s understanding at the time of writing.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines the word au pair as ‘a young person who stays with a family in another country and takes care of their children‘.
Additional, UK specific, information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/au-pairs-employment-law/au-pairs. Seek appropriate advice from a suitably qualified professional for your individual circumstances.
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