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Au Pair Paid Holidays Standards in Different Countries
How many days of paid holidays are the Au Pairs entitled to?
Usually, the Au Pair gets one to four weeks of paid holiday per 12 months of the Au Pair program.
The amount depends on many factors:
-
Host Country Au Pair program regulations
-
Contract between the Au Pair and the family
-
Length of the Au Pair stay abroad
Au Pairs usually work 25 to 35
hours per week depending on the host country and the family's needs. Au Pairs also have a certain amount of paid holiday during the program. In addition to these, there are also bank holidays according to the law of the host country. They need to be mentioned in the Au Pair contract as well.
We recommend discussing the holiday period with the Au Pair as soon as possible. That way, both family and Au Pair can make the proper arrangements.
In the following table you can find the amount of paid holiday and free days per week for each country.
|
Country |
Free days per week |
Paid holidays* |
|
Australia |
1,5 |
1 week in the period of 6 months or bonus payment |
|
Austria |
1 |
4 weeks in the period of 12 months |
|
Belgium |
1 |
2 weeks in the period of 12 months |
|
Canada |
min. 1 |
2 weeks in the period of 6 months |
|
Denmark |
1 |
1 week in the period of 6 months |
|
England |
min. 1 (1x per month a Sunday) |
2 weeks in the period of 12 months |
|
Finland |
min. 1 |
1-2 weeks in the period of 6 months |
|
France |
1,5 successive days |
1 week in the period of 6 months |
|
Germany |
1-2 |
1 week in the period of 6 months |
|
Ireland |
min. 2 successive days |
1 week in the period of 6 months |
|
Italy |
min. 1 (1x per month a Sunday) |
2 weeks in the period of 12 months |
|
Luxembourg |
3 evenings and 1 day |
2 weeks in the period of 6 months |
|
New Zealand |
min. 1 (1x per month a Sunday) |
2 weeks in the period of 6 months |
|
The Netherlands |
1,5 |
2 weeks in the period of 12 months |
|
Norway |
1,5 |
25 days in the period of 12 months |
|
Sweden |
1 (1xper month a Sunday) |
4 weeks in the period of 12 months |
|
Switzerland |
1,5 |
4 weeks in the period of 12 months |
|
Spain |
min. 1 (1x per month a Sunday) |
2-4 weeks in the period of 12 months |
|
Turkey |
2 + 4 evenings |
2 weeks in the period of 12 months |
|
USA |
1,5 + 1 weekend per month |
2 weeks in the period of 12 months |
*The table presents recommendations. All arrangements concerning holidays should always be discussed by the Au pair and the Host Family.
Au Pair on holiday - how does it work?
Depending on the Host Country regulations, the Au Pair should get a given amount of paid holiday. Still, in the case of the Au Pair program, the concept of holiday is confusing and the interpretation varies from case to case.
Some families take the Au Pair with them when going on holiday and this time may count as the Au Pair’s holiday. In such cases, it’s important to remember that during the vacation the Au Pair should not fulfill the standard tasks and should also have some free time.
The holiday can also be spent in different ways: for example, the Au Pair can visit their family during this time. The Au Pair can also travel through the Host Country, getting to know the new environment better. It depends on their decision on how to spend the free time and the Host Family should be supportive. At AuPair.com you can find
guided tours through the most popular Host Countries.
Whatever the interpretation of the Au Pair holiday is, the contract should contain detailed clarification so any future misunderstanding can be easily avoided.
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