Heidi Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 If you have/had one, how much do you pay them? Where do you find one? What did they do for you? We are about to move to Germany. I am thinking of hiring a nanny to help watch the kids while I homeschool and run errands. I would also like her to assist us in learning German. I know the girl I want to hire. She is an exchange student from Germany living here in our town with a family friend, but is about to go home next month. She is 19, great with the kids (she is our babysitter), and is super excited that we are moving to Germany soon. I don't know what her plans are, but I'm thinking of offering her this job. What would I pay her as a live-in nanny/tutor? Or tell me anything about your experience. If she doesn't want the job, where would I go to find one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 I'm not sure, but I think that if she's also acting, on some level, as a tutor, you can expect to pay her more. Also remember to consider paid vacation, taxes (not sure how that works in Germany), etc. ETA: Are you allowed to homeschool in Germany? I had heard it was illegal - for expats as well as citizens. Not sure how true that is :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Our neighbor in Germany had a nanny...we were friendly but aloof at first, we wondered if he was mofia or something illegal, he had a ton of money, beautiful wife, hardly seemed to work much, an interesting variety of people visited. Eventually we found out he had been a goalie for a big name soccer team during their winning year. He gave us a signed bottle of wine with their teams label from the year they won when we left, we stopped being aloof once we found out he was legit. At any rate, their nanny was from Poland or another poor Eastern European country, I can't remember where. These countries deflate the going rate that a nanny can earn, but one that was teaching and not just watching kids would command a bigger salary. I have no idea what is currently being paid, though. It also depends on the region, just like in any country, some areas have higher COL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 I think if you're looking to hire the exchange student either while she's an exchange student or ask her to stay beyond her exchange student time, you should check to see if it would be legal. She could run into some potential problems if she came on a student visa vs. a work visa. I think it sounds like an ideal situation. Are you wanting her to nanny until you move to Germany or after your move to Germany? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 She is going home to Germany in two weeks. We will be there in about two months. It is legal to homeschool bc we are military. I have a friend that recently hired a live in nanny from Utah. This girl has no prior experience and just helps with the kids. They pay her $75/week, plus they provide room and food. This where I got the idea from, but I have no idea if that is typical pay or not for her work/experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 That is not typical pay in the United States at all. Even factoring in the value of room and board, your friend may be violating the minimum wage law depending on how many hours per week the nanny from Utah works and where they live. When I was a live in nanny (part-time, while in college) in 1998, I made $10-12/hr and the rent for the studio apartment I lived in (think MIL type set up with my own entrance, bathroom and kitchen) was deducted from my pay. That was IIRC something like $400 a month. Even after rent was paid, the months I worked almost FT I was netting upwards of $1000 after taxes and SS. No board was factored in as I only ate with the kids or whole family when I was on duty (and getting paid) or they were taking me out for a special event. While room and board costs are higher now, so are wages. I can't speak to the prevailing wages in Germany. I would research the employment laws and such very closely before deciding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 I was a nanny in 1998-1999. I made 14/hr and more on the weekends. I feel really bad for the girl who is only getting 75 dollars a week. How many hours a week does she work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnIslandGirl Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 We live in a high cost of living area, so take this with a grain of salt, but the starting pay for a live-in nanny around here is about $600 a week. Nannies with experience or degrees in the education field often fetch a higher pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 $75 a week is shockingly low, even for Utah, even for the most inexperienced nanny. I agree with a previous poster that it's likely your friend is not following employment laws. If you're hiring a German nanny in Germany, you're going to need to go with local expectations. You'll also need to follow German employment laws regarding household help. It can be quite expensive to hire a nanny in Germany. You could probably find some good suggestions on an online expat board for Germany. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 Ok, doing a little research.. She hired her as an au pair, not a nanny. Never heard of au pair before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Ok, doing a little research.. She hired her as an au pair, not a nanny. Never heard of au pair before. An au pair is usually a young person from another country (so I find it incredibly odd that an American could hire someone from Utah as an au pair). Americans do hire au pairs thinking of them as super-cheap nannies, but that's not what they're supposed to be. They are supposed to do some child care and help out, but they are also supposed to be here for cultural exchange and are usually supposed to be taking classes and have time off to see some sights. I get the feeling there's false advertising on both ends - the parents are told "super-cheap live-in nanny that will teach your kids a foreign language as a bonus and take care of all your child care needs!" - the young people are told "See America! Learn English! Take classes! Free room and board , and you even get some extra money! All you have to do is watch some kids a few hours a week!" They aren't supposed to be on call every evening and weekends - I'm pretty sure there's a maximum number of hours they are supposed to be working each week. They usually come through an agency that handles visas, the classes they take, and make sure the placement works out. I'm not sure how or if it would work to hire a German national in Germany as an au pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 There is not to my knowledge a legal au pair program for us citizens to work in the United States. Au pairs from abroad get about $200 a week on top of room and board and tuition for certain classes. Your friends are almost certainly breaking one or more laws unless she is working very part time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 An au pair is basically a companion, with less responsibility than a nanny. I have seen American girls take this kind of job with American families living overseas, for them it is a cheap way to spend some time overseas as more of a family member than an employee. I doubt a German girl would be interested in working for so little pay in Germany. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 I am assuming that the girl from Utah is working for an American family overseas, not in the US. The benefit to her would be primarily the experience of living overseas all expenses paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 Yes, they are all headed to Korea in two weeks. Yep, doubting I can be a host family in Germany to a German native. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 We live in a high cost of living area, so take this with a grain of salt, but the starting pay for a live-in nanny around here is about $600 a week. Nannies with experience or degrees in the education field often fetch a higher pay. Yes, that was my first thought too. When I was pregnant with my first ages ago, I had a coworker at the same level I was who was pregnant with her fourth. She explained that a live-in nanny was a must with her schedule and that many children. Her live-in nanny was going to get a raise with the birth of the fourth, and she would be making $3000/month with a small apartment included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4everHis Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 25 years ago I made $350/week for an approx. 50 hour week. I did not live-in. I'd say your friend is not paying nearly enough in Utah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicAnn Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Wow that's low. Too low! A live in nanny here in the Midwest would still be 1000-2000 a month depending on hours. I just saw an ad for a live in mothers helper and the pay was 200 a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 I worked as a Nanny of a toddler 25 years ago for 2 days a week and was paid $120 per week. I was not live in. I would expect a live in nanny to receiving somewhere above 40K per year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganCupcake Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 She is going home to Germany in two weeks. We will be there in about two months. It is legal to homeschool bc we are military. I have a friend that recently hired a live in nanny from Utah. This girl has no prior experience and just helps with the kids. They pay her $75/week, plus they provide room and food. This where I got the idea from, but I have no idea if that is typical pay or not for her work/experience. No, I'm certain that is not typical pay for an au pair or a nanny for virtually any U.S. family. As others have said, that is way too low. I suppose it's possible that one could get local childcare in South Korea for that rate, though. But I doubt it. My sister moved to Germany a couple of years ago and hired a U.S. girl to stay with them in Germany for about 6 months as a nanny (she has also had au pairs while living in the U.S. and in addition to paying for the au pair's room and board, travel expenses, and some other expenses, they were paid $260 a week for a maximum of 40 hours of work--this is through an agency, so fees and certain expectations are set). I am not sure how much she paid her U.S. nanny in Germany, but I would imagine it was several hundred dollars a week, at minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Where are you moving in Germany? We just moved back to the US 3 months ago and we all miss it so much!!!! When we were there 2001-2004, I had a friend who had a live in nanny for her 2 girls (ages 3 and newborn) who was from Poland. The girl did b'fast and lunch for the girls, did their laundry (the girls only), and did general care. They had a 3 bedroom (on post) and gave the nanny one bedroom, putting the girls together in one room. She was off in the evenings after my friends got home from work and had every Sunday and every other Saturday off. In addition to room and board, they paid her $150/week. That is so cheap. They actually paid her more than she asked for, which was $120/week. At the time, the military was just starting to build gates around the on post housing areas, so it wasn't a problem with her living there. Today, most housing has gates, and getting her on and off would have been a problem. Where we lived in Wiesbaden, 3 housing areas were not gated (we lived in the gated housing), because German roads ran through the middle of them. That's fairly rare though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camelfeet Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 75$ is too low... even in the middle east where maids/nannies earn next to nothing, they still earn more than that... I think what someone pays in the US or other places is irrelevant, you need to check out German labour laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 She is going home to Germany in two weeks. We will be there in about two months. It is legal to homeschool bc we are military. I have a friend that recently hired a live in nanny from Utah. This girl has no prior experience and just helps with the kids. They pay her $75/week, plus they provide room and food. This where I got the idea from, but I have no idea if that is typical pay or not for her work/experience. The minimum wage for a full-time live in domestic helper in Hong Kong (where they are often treated like dirt) is USD516 per month. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 No, I'm certain that is not typical pay for an au pair or a nanny for virtually any U.S. family. As others have said, that is way too low. I suppose it's possible that one could get local childcare in South Korea for that rate, though. But I doubt it. Out of curiosity I checked and it is less than the S. Korea min. wage. Honestly, taking a domestic out of the country to work for tiny wages would be considered a case of human trafficking in my area. Also hiring an informal nanny under the table can be career suicide for some, to say nothing of just being wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 One more voice saying $75 a week is way too low. I was a nanny almost 30 years ago. I received $125 per week. I also got free room and board and use of the family car in the evenings if it was available. And my wages were a bit low compared to some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Out of curiosity I checked and it is less than the S. Korea min. wage. Honestly, taking a domestic out of the country to work for tiny wages would be considered a case of human trafficking in my area. Also hiring an informal nanny under the table can be career suicide for some, to say nothing of just being wrong. This is what I was getting ready to post. Unless that girl is working very, very few hours, that could easily be considered trafficking. The OP said that she is military. I would be especially concerned about following all labor laws to avoid future problems with clearances. It's also just the right thing to do. Usually if a situation sounds too good to be true (like $75 per week for live-in childcare), it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 We have family in Germany an I would say you want to be very careful about following the rules there. Employment there is just so vastly different than employment here (time off, wages, taxes, unemployment, required documentation, etc.) When DH tells his cousins about how things work here (taxes, unemployment, healthcare, etc.,etc), some seem literally shocked (all of them grew up there or in France). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHomeschoolDad Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 This is what I was getting ready to post. Unless that girl is working very, very few hours, that could easily be considered trafficking. The OP said that she is military. I would be especially concerned about following all labor laws to avoid future problems with clearances. It's also just the right thing to do. I've had a few SAT kids in gigundo homes with live-ins who seem to always be middle-aged Latino women. It's conflicting. Is it an opportunity available to a demographic that does/would have trouble finding other employment, or is it a mom taking care of someone else's kids to feed her own? Maybe both. None of these families I've known are large -- 2-3 kinds and a lotta dough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 I've had a few SAT kids in gigundo homes with live-ins who seem to always be middle-aged Latino women. It's conflicting. Is it an opportunity available to a demographic that does/would have trouble finding other employment, or is it a mom taking care of someone else's kids to feed her own? Maybe both. None of these families I've known are large -- 2-3 kinds and a lotta dough. I think the issue becomes a problem when laws are being broken. Either with undocumented workers, payment below the table/tax dodging or underpaying based on state law. Unfortunately if someone is willing to do one, they are often willing to do all. The immigration and visa situation doesn't help. One of the most interesting news stories I heard on human trafficking was an expert in law enforcement commenting that we think of people participating in human trafficking as evil thugs and victims of human trafficking as all being sex crime victims. When in reality, a human trafficker could easily just be an average or well to do family who doesn't want the full cost of a nanny or housekeeper. The woman interviewed said that this sort of crime accounted for a lot of cases in my state. Scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 One of the most interesting news stories I heard on human trafficking was an expert in law enforcement commenting that we think of people participating in human trafficking as evil thugs and victims of human trafficking as all being sex crime victims. When in reality, a human trafficker could easily just be an average or well to do family who doesn't want the full cost of a nanny or housekeeper. The woman interviewed said that this sort of crime accounted for a lot of cases in my state. Scary. One of my bridesmaids 20+ years ago came to this country from Haiti that way. She was promised what seemed like a fortune to her in exchange for housing and "a little" childcare. Her family got a good amount of money (to them). Then hosting family held her passport and papers and had her doing housework and childcare 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week. After a year they went on a month-long vacation and left her alone to keep the house clean and water the garden. Thankfully the next day she decided to get dressed up and go to church down the street, the first time in that year that she had been out on her own. The first people she met spoke French and immediately released her situation, and they moved her out of that house and then eventually got her passport and paperwork and got her into a situation of her own choosing. She became an American citizen and owns a real estate company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 One of my bridesmaids 20+ years ago came to this country from Haiti that way. She was promised what seemed like a fortune to her in exchange for housing and "a little" childcare. Her family got a good amount of money (to them). Then hosting family held her passport and papers and had her doing housework and childcare 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week. After a year they went on a month-long vacation and left her alone to keep the house clean and water the garden. Thankfully the next day she decided to get dressed up and go to church down the street, the first time in that year that she had been out on her own. The first people she met spoke French and immediately released her situation, and they moved her out of that house and then eventually got her passport and paperwork and got her into a situation of her own choosing. She became an American citizen and owns a real estate company. This kind of thing still happens in the United States, on a very regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 This kind of thing still happens in the United States, on a very regular basis. No kidding. When you apply for a visa to enter the US you should have your rights explained to you, but that doesn't always solve the problem. Even if you know you're supposed to be able to keep your passport or not work crazy hours, it doesn't mean you know how to stop that from happening, or what to do if it does, or that you can get past the (hopefully unjustified) fear or being deported if you say something. You can also lose your visa if you quit your job which isn't helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 My thought on the $75/wp girl is that she could be a relative, and it might be legal. Usually that has to be a closer relative, a sibling of one of the parents or an adult child. I would start by looking at German labor laws: minimum wage for domestic workers and hours restrictions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 While I agree with everyone else that $75 a week is ridiculously low and that anyone who would only pay their au pair $75 a week should not only be ashamed of themselves, but should also be reported, I hope we can all remember that the Cheap Family is not any relation to Abigail Adams, and is only a friend of hers. I wouldn't want her to think any of us was scolding her for what her friend is doing. She had no clue about the going rates, so she gave us the only example she knew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Queen Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 On my island childcare typically costs $75 a week, so room and board plus $75 a week doesn't seem horrid to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 We have a live-in nanny/housekeeper/cook. She has weekends off. We pay her $135 a week in USD which is actually about twice the going rate here. But we love her and she is worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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