The remuneration that an au pair would expect to receive differs from one
position to another, but here are some guidelines for determining a fair
salary:
-
Offer a basic salary of between R35 and R60 per hour, depending on the
experience and qualifications of the au pair, as well as the number of hours
per week you require them to work. The less hours per week that they will be
working, the greater the hourly rate should be to compensate fairly for this.
As a guideline, an inexperienced au pair working 20 hours or more per week
would expect around R35-R40 per hour, whereas one working for 10 hours or less
would expect roughly R45-R50 per hour. A more experienced or qualified au pair
would expect around R45-R50 per hour and R55-R60 per hour respectively for
these types of positions.
-
Occasional baby-sitting should be remunerated at roughly the the same rate as
above, provided that fair notice is given to the au pair to allow them to clear
their schedule.
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Travelling expenses should be remunerated at roughly R2.00 to R3.00 per
kilometre for all traveling done for the family in the au pair's own car during
their working hours. Instead of calculating the amount each time, a set amount
is often added to the au pair's salary to cover average driving expenses.
Should you be able to offer any special benefits such as accomodation (for a
live-in position), use of a family's car, phone, meals or snacks etc, you
should negotiate with the au pair to account for these when determining a fair
salary.
An au pair's salary is usually paid either weekly or monthly, but if necessary
another arrangement can be made by agreement with the au pair.