Like all employees in New Zealand, au pairs are also entitled to weekends off. Au pairs and host families should discuss the topic of working time and free time before the au pair stay begins. We recommend setting up a work schedule together that gives both the au pair and the family a clear view of what has been planned. In exceptional cases, au pairs may work on weekends. In this case, they earn their pocket money according to a defined payrate (1.5 x normal wage).
With an au pair stay of 12 months, au pairs are entitled to four weeks of paid holiday. In addition, they are entitled to five sick days after 6 months' stay with a family. Au pairs should have public holidays off. Such a paid day of holiday will be calculated in the weekly pocket money.
With a shorter length of stay, the number of paid holiday days and the entitlement to sick days should be calculated on a proportional basis.
In New Zealand there is no official regulation governing public holidays for au pairs. We recommend that au pairs have public holidays off and only in exceptional cases should they have to work. Such situations should be discussed in advance between the au pair and host family. If an au pair needs to work on a public holiday, then the normal hourly wage should receive the normal hourly wage x1.5.
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