Live-in Caregiver vs. Au Pair: What’s the Difference?
Many people use the terms “au pair” and “live-in caregiver” interchangeably. While it may appear
that both provide the same level of household assistance, this is actually a misnomer.
The term “au pair” comes from the French word “en pair” meaning “equal to”. Unlike a regular employer-employee relationship, an au pair is viewed as part of the family, or a big sister. Au Pairs come to Canada for a “cultural exchange” under a Working Holiday Visa and desire an opportunity to explore the world. Many of them are young (Between 18 to 35) having just recently completed high school or post-secondary education. Au Pairs are often new to the nanny scene, whereas live-in caregivers are required to have at least 1 year of full-time work experience as a nanny, or completion of a 6-month caregiving course, along with the equivalent of Canadian high school
education.
By working as an au pair, participants not only have the chance to experience Canadian culture by working very closely with a Canadian family, but are also able to earn money and travel, when time permits.
Most au pairs are willing to commit for one year, although there are some who may only wish to work for 6 months, therefore spending the remainder of their time traveling. Live-in caregivers are interested in long-term employment, and are often prepared to work for at least two years. An au pair’s main responsibility is childcare and child-related household duties. In contrast, a live-in caregiver will often assume full responsibility of the household during the parents’ absence, which may include light housekeeping and meal preparation for the entire family.
An au pair’s working hours range between 25 – 44 hours per week depending on the family’s needs. For families who do not require full-time care, but would like the benefits of having someone live in their home, an au pair could be a good solution. Like live-in caregivers, au pairs are paid minimum wage and room and board is deducted from their earnings. These numbers vary depending on the province in which you reside.
Hiring an au pair is an easier process than hiring a live-in caregiver. When hiring a live-in caregiver, employers must satisfy requirements established by the Government of Canada; proof of income, submission of a labour market opinion, as well as payment for the caregiver’s flight into the country is all necessary. In contrast, when hiring an au pair, employers need only submit an application to International Nannies and Homecare, conduct interviews, and wait. The au pair is responsible for all costs incurred, which includes their Working Holiday Visa, airfare, and health insurance while in Canada.
Au Pairs and live-in caregivers are both interested in childcare opportunities, but differ slightly in terms of their work schedule, responsibilities, job experience, and entrance process into Canada. Regardless of the choice you make, of most importance is selecting the caregiver that will provide the best solution for your family’s needs.
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Minimum wage hikes and unintended consequences
Unpaid working hours, outstanding overtime, lack of statutory holiday and vacation pay were all realities experienced by caregivers in 2011. According to British Columbia’s Ministry of Labour, 21 complaints were received last year from domestic workers filing grievances for problems with compensation from employers.
Many of those caregivers earn minimum wage, which goes up 75 cents to $10.25 an hour on May 1 — the last of three scheduled increases. Caregivers in Vancouver are looking forward to the increased pay but fearful of how this raise may affect their livelihoods.
With pressures of increased costs, some employers could be forced to put their children in daycare or terminate their domestic worker. Caregivers worry that they may be expected to work additional unpaid hours to keep their jobs or that their hours could be reduced.
“My employer tells me that I am more expensive than the monthly mortgage,” says Lala, a local caregiver who followed her family from Hong Kong to Vancouver. “I write all my hours I work but they don’t give me the right overtime pay.”
Lala is not alone. Domestic workers feel vulnerable when speaking out about unpaid wages. Caregivers are required to work for two years, or 3,900 hours, before they are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada. During this two-year period, they may only work for one employer. Fearful that they may be sent home if they voice concerns over lost wages, domestic workers prefer to stay silent.
Ai Li Lim, staff lawyer and executive director of the West Coast Domestic Workers’ Association (WCDWA), has strong concerns about the effects of the minimum wage increase.
“The caregivers should not be expected to bear the burden of this wage increase through increased costs for their room and board,” she said. “The government could provide other options to offset the costs, like an increased family tax credit.”
A few months ago, the West Coast Domestic Workers’ Association received anonymous emails from caregiver employers expressing strong concern about the rising wage. “Some employers called us to ask if caregivers have rights,” said Alisha Bell, an independent contractor working with WCDWA.
The issue of domestic workers lodging complaints against their employers is a complex one. Caregivers often live with the family, eat meals together and take care of the children for years at a time. Domestic workers simultaneously provide money to their families back home, making the pressure to keep their job in Canada intense.
Vancouver-Kensington MLA Mable Elmore said she has had visits from local caregivers.
“I have not heard any complaints from the employers of domestic workers, but we do have caregivers visit my office concerned about payments from their employers,” she said. Elmore refers the domestic workers to non-profit groups such as WCDWA or the Employment Standards Branch.
Mary, a caregiver from the Philippines, said she has worked for an employer she claims did not pay her for hours worked. “I put the kids to bed in the evening, the parents go out and I am expected to watch the kids while they sleep. I do not get paid for this time,” she said.
One alternative is a monitoring body that could make monthly reviews to ensure workers are paid for their hours.
“We recommended to Citizenship and Immigration Canada that a reporting system should be put in place to keep a close eye on employers and make sure caregivers are paid proper wages,” said Manuela Gruber Hersch, the general manager of International Nannies & Homecare in Vancouver.
There is an obvious solution to this dilemma. Both federal and provincial governments should commit to assisting Canadian families with the cost of care for their loved ones.
That means ensuring caregivers are paid fairly so that they can continue working. It also means that Canadian families should be better supported to pay their caregivers.
Sacha DeVoretz is the founder and editor-in-chief of GlobalImmigrantNews.com. Based in North Vancouver, the website provides a voiceto immigration issues around the world.
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Mixed Reactions to Changes to the Live-in Caregiver Program
Live-in caregiv
ers in Canada now have an opportunity to get open work permits about 18 months sooner. On Dec. 15, 2011, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced the change, but reaction from the caregiver community has been mixed.
The open visa will allow caregivers to live out of their employer’s home, find another job in a different field and allow them to have more than one job or employer. Caregivers can use their skills in a field in which they may have education and experience from their home country. A benefit of the change is they can potentially increase their income by working part-time for other employers.
“They can also negotiate for better wages other than minimum wage because they are not tied (by contract) to one employer,” says Lorina Serafico, secretary treasurer of the Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers’ and Caregivers’ Rights (CDWCR). “For some married women who need more funds to finance the processing of their family’s immigration papers and settlement to Canada, this ability to earn more is especially helpful and may even allow them to reunite with their family faster.”
The Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) gives Canadian families the opportunity to hire workers from overseas to provide care to a child, an elderly person or an adult with disabilities when there is a confirmed shortage of Canadians available to work in those positions. Caregivers are required to work for two years, or 3,900 hours, and then they are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
Before this new change, live-in caregivers would be forced to wait for an initial approval on their application for permanent residence before being eligible for an open work permit. This meant they had little choice in their employment situations. An open work permit allows the caregiver to move out of their employer’s home and look for jobs with another employer.
Caregiver concerns
Despite the promise of increased earnings, there are some concerns about the new announcement. “My worry is that CIC may take longer to process permanent resident applications now that caregivers will obtain open work permits more quickly,” says Ai Li Lim executive director for the West Coast Domestic Workers’ Association. “While it is a definite improvement, the ultimate end goal [for many caregivers] is to obtain PR status, which an open work permit does not provide.”
While the live-in caregiver program is a temporary program, if the participants fulfil the requirements of their contracts adequately, they are eligible to apply for permanent residence, and then sponsor their own families to Canada.
Serafico is a pioneer member of CDWCR, which first formed in 1992. “Prior to this announcement, our organization has sent letters to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to encourage these types of changes, so this is a good start.”
“We look at the program on a continual basis,” says Rick Dykstra, parliamentary secretary to the minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. “This change happened as an evolution of the program.”
Some of the other improvements the Government of Canada has made to the program in recent years include: allowing live-in caregivers to apply for permanent residence after 3,900 work hours, rather than two years of work, to ensure overtime is appropriately recognized; the elimination of the need for a second medical examination when the caregiver applies for permanent residence; and defining the costs the employer is obliged to pay, including the caregiver’s travel expenses in coming to Canada, medical insurance, workplace safety insurance and third-party representative fees.
Program improves, numbers decline
While the program has been improving, the number of caregivers entering the program has been on a decline since 2007.
“Based on our experience, the decline results from changes to regulations and policies that discourage employers to hire them, usually the length of time to process and the costs associated with it, especially if coming from Manila or New Delhi,” says Serafico.
The increasing requirements to qualify under the program could also be a reason for the decline in numbers. The recent change in 2008 by the Philippine government requiring an “addendum” to the contract between Canadian employers and Filipino caregivers could be one of the factors.
The terms of this contract with employers in Canada and caregivers coming from the Philippines require that the employer be responsible for the cost of transportation to and from Canada, health coverage for the employee (before the provincial health insurance applies), termination of employment only for just cause and more.
Regardless of the dwindling participation in the program, the changes could have significant potential for future caregivers according to Serafico, “The Live-in Caregiver Program is an important one and it is an opportunity for women to come to Canada. Now with the new open visa, caregivers will be able to work more and contribute added money to their families back home or maybe be reunited with their families in Canada sooner.”
Still a concern for Lim is the application process for permanent residency. “We have been advocating for landed status immediately for caregivers. This new development may slow down the PR application process. We will have to wait and see how that plays out.”
From: www.canadianimmigrant.ca
By Sacha Devoretz
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Canada’s Critical Caregiver Shortage
There has ne
ver been an abundance of local live-in nannies, but until recently, there was at least, a good flow of live-in caregivers.
A local live-in nanny might be a caregiver who has completed 1 year of work who decides to work with another family. Or, this nanny may have been terminated due to financial difficulty on behalf of the employer. Either way, a local live-in caregiver is a nanny who already resides in Canada and is ready to work.
The availability of local live-in caregivers is a valuable market. For many families, waiting 6-8 months for a nanny’s arrival isn’t feasible. Nor perhaps is the government’s requirement for the family to cover airfare costs and other fairly substantial fees. In such cases, it is far more convenient to look locally rather than abroad.
You may be wondering why “until recently” has been highlighted. As of December 2011, live-in caregivers who apply for their Permanent Resident status are granted work permits within approximately 2 months. This change has come about as there are approximately 29,000 live-in caregivers eligible for permanent resident status (PR) in 2012, but only + 9,000 caregivers will actually be approved. The Canadian government feels that if caregivers have completed their 24 months of live-in work, having their Open Work Pemits issued quickly will integrate them faster into Canadian society. This is positive for live-in caregivers, but unfortunately, creates difficulties for Canadian families.
What does this mean for the status of local live-in caregivers in Canada? Their numbers are dwindling like an endangered species. Rather than waiting 18-19 months for open work permits, the speedy instant processing means that many previously available live-in nannies, are now only interested in live-out positions. Such positions pay more than the minimum wage (Approximately $14 and up per hour) and also provide the much desired freedom to live separately from their employer. Unfortunately, many live-out nannies prefer working close to where they live and are generally only interested in positions offering regular work hours. Of course, the reason many families need a live-in caregiver is because of irregurlar hours due to shift work or travel.
Therefore, if Canadian families are searching for a local live-in caregiver, to avoid the waiting times for an overseas nanny, be forewarned that the process may take longer than expected. Quality local live-in caregivers are a dwindling market – if you interview a candidate who really fits with your family, don’t hesitate to offer them employment. The next available suitable candidate may not come along for a while. The other alternative is to plan ahead and hire a caregiver from overseas. Planning ahead is the key as the minimum wait is 6 months and up.
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International Nannies on YouTube
In keeping with the modern times, an introduction to the services provided by International Nannies and Homecare is now available on YouTube.
Please take the time to view our newest video:
International Nannies on YouTube
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Nanny nation: From the Philippines, with love
January 06, 2012 from thestar.com
According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, more than 150,000 foreign workers enter the country every year to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or to work as live-in caregivers.
The federal Live-In Caregiver Program was created to address shortages for child and elder care. Most of the foreign workers who enter Canada under this program are Filipinos, and most work as nannies.
The sight of a Filipino nanny with young charges in tow is ubiquitous in GTA parks, libraries and drop-in centres. Many of these nannies are the key money-earners for their families back home in the Philippines.
After two years working here, most nannies qualify to apply for permanent resident status, a step on the road to eventual Canadian citizenship. For many, the goal is to sponsor their families as would-be immigrants, in hope of family reunification in Canada.
Melchizedek Maquiso followed this familiar path. After childhood with his academic parents in the university and science city of Munoz, about four hours north of Manila, Maquiso lived in various Manila suburbs. In 2007, at age 27, he came here to work as a nanny.
“I’m not the only one. I’ve met other male nannies,” laughs Maquiso. His was an easier landing than most encounter; Maquiso’s young charge was his own nephew, then age 4. His employer was his older sister, who had previously immigrated to the United States and then Canada, and was about to launch her own business in York Region. She now lives in Stouffville.
So unlike many, Maquiso’s decision to head to Canada wasn’t driven by brutal necessity. He already had a “fairly decent” job in Manila and was financially independent. His motivation was to help his sister — and, eventually, pursue a post-secondary education abroad.
“Each nanny has a unique story to tell, from being the sole breadwinner of the family to a carefree individual seeking greener pastures for herself in Canada,” says Maquiso, who now has permanent resident status here. “The decision to work in Canada is already a significant deviation from the concept of family in the Philippine setting, where living with generations of family members under one roof and where adult working children still live with their parents are common practices.
“Whatever their reasons are for choosing to work here, all of them are unanimous in one thing — they would like to be reunited with their families who literally live thousands of miles and an ocean away.”
Maquiso is set to graduate this spring from the photojournalism program at Belleville’s Loyalist College. He aspires to create visual documentaries on social issues, particularly East-West relationships: “Third World issues and relationships with industrialized countries, as seen through the people involved in it.”
Maquiso images illustrate that theme handsomely, while presenting a rare inside look at the reality of dual-world existence for thousands of hard-working GTA residents and the families they serve, here and at home.
— Dan Smith
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Hiring Credit for Small Business in 2012
Happy New Year! Here is an exciting update to share with small business employers:
The 2011 Federal Budget created a Hiring Credit for Small Business (HCSB), a one-time credit intended to stimulate new employment and support small businesses. The HCSB gives small businesses relief from the employer’s share of Employment Insurance (EI) premiums paid in 2011. The credit does this by covering the difference in Employer EI premiums from 2010 to 2011, up to $1,000.
Who is eligible for the HCSB and how will it be calculated?
A small business whose total employer’s EI premiums paid for 2010 was $10,000 or less and whose total premiums increased in 2011 is eligible for a credit.
The credit is calculated as the difference between these two amounts up to a maximum of $1,000. The CRA will automatically calculate the credit when an eligible employer’s 2011 T4 information return is filed.
If an employer meets all listed eligibility criteria but has an outstanding debt with the CRA, will the CRA still calculate the credit?
Yes, the CRA will calculate the HCSB and will apply the amount of the credit towards any outstanding debt owed by the employer.
Can employers reduce their 2011 payroll deduction remittances by the HCSB they anticipate they will receive rather than waiting until the credit is calculated?
No. Employers are not permitted to short remit their 2011 payroll remittances by the amount of the HCSB they think they will receive. The credit will only be calculated once the 2011 T4 information return is filed.
Please contact our Payroll Accountant Linh if you have any questions regarding this one- time credit: linh@internationalnannies.com or 1-604-786-2566.
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Canada’s New Caregiver Policy Raises Industry Concern
OTTAWA — The federal government is making it easier for foreign live-in caregivers to stay in the country once their contract is up, but an industry leader is warning the new policy could cause a serious caregiver shortage.
Immigrants with live-in caregiver visas will now be able to obtain an open work permit 18 months sooner, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Thursday.
Already, about 14,000 live-in caregivers have been given open work visas since the policy was changed, the minister’s press secretary confirmed Thursday.
Open work permits allow caregivers to seek another job, if they choose, when their two-year live-in caregiver contract is complete, without losing their permission to be in Canada.
“Too many live-in caregivers have completed their work obligations but must continue living in the home of their employer, waiting for their application for permanent residence to be reviewed,” said Kenney. “This is understandably frustrating.”
The Live-In Caregiver Program allows Canadian families to hire caregivers from abroad to live in their home and care for a child, an elderly person or a disabled adult when there are no Canadians available for the job.
Those in the program need to work for 3,900 hours or two years before they are eligible to apply for permanent-resident status.
Until now, however, they could not look for other work while they waited for initial permanent status approval — which, with the current backlog, typically takes about 18 months.
Kenney said the new policy accelerates the processing time by 18 months. Live-in caregivers now get their open work permit as soon as they can apply for permanent status.
The new policy is a result of consultations Kenney had with live-in caregivers on how to prevent them from being exploited, the minister’s press secretary said on Thursday.
“Minister Kenney is concerned with the treatment of live-in caregivers in Canada,” wrote Candice Malcolm in an email. “People in this program sometimes face difficult situations, such as those described in the front-page abuse allegations against then-Liberal-MP Ruby Dhalla.”
Two years ago, Dhalla made headlines when a former nanny alleged she “was mentally tortured and physically stressed” by long work hours and insults in the family household.
Since the program began, similar allegations have surfaced in other parts of the country.
The new policy is a welcome change to better protect live-in caregivers, said Manuela Gruber Hersch, president of the Association for Caregiver and Nanny Agencies in Canada, a group that seeks to set ethical standards for the caregiver industry.
“It gives (live-in caregivers) a lot more freedom,” she said.
But Gruber Hersch said Canadian families will need to brace themselves for what she predicts will be a rapidly dwindling supply of foreign nannies.
“We will see and we already have seen a growing shortage of caregivers, live-in and live-out,” she explained. “Once they get their open work permits, the vast majority will move on to other industries . . . They’ve done their 24 months and they want to move on.”
The shortage is already happening, she said.
Gruber Hersch said she recently heard from a B.C. caregiver placement agency which already has received notices from six nannies.
The new policy is unprecedented, said Toronto immigration lawyer Rafael Fabregas.
Although he welcomes the change, Fabregas said he is suspicious of the federal government’s motivation.
“It’s bizarre,” said Fabregas. “It’s bizarre how they can announce this type of a policy after basically doing nothing for the past year-and-a-half and accumulating all these applications.”
Along with the massive backlog of permanent residence applications, the wait time for live-in caregivers crept up over the past year-and-a-half, to almost 20 months from six months, said Fabregas.
“Now they’re basically creating a policy to kill a backlog that they created, in a way making themselves look good,” he said. “I just think all of this doesn’t pass my smell test. It reeks, quite frankly.”
Fabregas said the policy raises a lot of other questions. He wonders what will happen now for other immigrant groups, such as sponsored spouses, who are still awaiting a decision on their permanent status without open work permits.
“Is the immigration department now going to . . . start issuing them work permits upon application?” he asked.
As for a mass exodus of live-in caregivers looking for jobs in other industries, Fabregas said it’s too soon to tell.
“Are caregivers suddenly going to start leaving that job for greener pastures in a climate where unemployment is slowly creeping up? I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not convinced that that’s what going to happen, but I could be wrong.”
If it does happen, Fabregas said Kenney will need to put on his thinking cap to figure out the government will fill the gap.
New Democrat MP and immigration critic Don Davies said the new policy is a step in the right direction.
But it still fails to solve another problem, he said — the fact that many live-in caregivers must leave their own children and spouses behind in their home country. They are only allowed to sponsor them to come to Canada once they receive permanent residency.
“It’s ironic because we’re bringing women . . . from around the world to come here and look after our children, separating many of them from their own children,” said Davies.
Since the vast majority of live-in caregivers end up getting permanent status, Davies said there’s no reason to delay the sponsoring process.
tfletcher@postmedia.com
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Tips for Being a Good Employer
As an employer, we always have expectations of our employees, for example: be punctual, be hard-working, and be reliable; but what about the other way around? In what ways can people be better employers? Ensuring a harmonious relationship with your caregiver does not fall solely into the caregiver’s hands. A positive employer-employee relationship involves give and take. In order to promote a mutually beneficial relationship, here are a few tips to make your employee feel
valued:
1) Offer a fair wage: For live-in caregivers, the wage has already been determined according to government standards. However, for live-out caregivers, the wage is negotiable. When offering your caregiver a wage, truly ask yourself, “What is required from this individual and what is a reasonable wage”? How many children do you have? Is there housework involved? Driving the children? Meal preparation? Your wage should fairly compensate your caregiver for the job’s requirements.
2) Treat her like a professional: If you are confident in your caregiver’s childcare abilities, you should trust her judgement. If you have any concerns, these should be addressed in private and not in front of the children; doing so will only undermine her authority. Try to respect her childcare approach and be polite in making suggestions. We all have different ways of doing things and there may even be a cultural element to your caregiver’s approach.
3) Respect her privacy: You should respect your caregiver’s personal space, especially a live-in caregiver. Even though they live in your home, this does not mean your caregiver is available all the time. When the work day is done, your caregiver is free to enjoy their time off; whether that is in the comfort of their private room, or out with friends, be respectful of their personal space.
4) Establish rules and respect them: Your caregiver’s job description has been clearly detailed in the employment contract. If you require duties beyond what has been described in the contract, please consult with your caregiver first. Furthermore, if your work day finishes at 5, try and be home at that time so your caregiver’s workday may end. If it is necessary for them to work longer, be sure to compensate fairly.
5) Show your appreciation: Positive feedback goes a long way in fostering a harmonious relationship. If you are pleased with your caregiver’s performance – let them know!
6) Be flexible: Life doesn’t always go according to plan – maybe your nanny needs a day off and can only provide short notice. Or perhaps, you need your nanny to work on a weekend and it’s a last minute request. As much as we all like to plan ahead, sometimes you need to bend a bit.
7) Be welcoming: While arriving in a foreign country is an exciting experience, it can also be terrifying. Take the time to show your caregiver around the house and explain how everything works. At the same time, you may also want to point out bus stops, grocery stores, banks, cell-phone stores, etc. Your caregiver will appreciate the gesture and your assistance will help build their confidence.
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Being a Professional Nanny
Being professional is important, regardless of the kind of work. As a nanny, you have a responsibility not only to your employers, but to the children you care for as well. Taking pride in your work and acting in professional way will be beneficial to your current work relationship and to your future opportunities. Having a poor reference from a past employer will only harm your future chances of success.
That being said, here are a few general tips to follow in order to be a more “professional” employee.
Respect for Others
- Be polite and have good manners.
- Be punctual: if you start work at 7.a.m., you should be ready!
- Keep your employer’s private affairs confidential.
- Accept and listen to criticism – keep an open mind.
- Apologize for errors or misunderstandings.
- Do what is asked of you.
- Speak clearly – you may not be understood all the time, it’s best to check!
Take Responsibility
- Be honest!
- Be reliable and dependable – this is your job!
- Always give the best you can.
Of course, there are some tips which are more specific for nanny-work:
- Nannies should be mindful of childhood development and plan age-appropriate activities.
- Nannies should keep a journal to report any milestones in development or observations.
- Nannies must supervise children carefully and use common sense when responding to emergency situations.
Remember, being a nanny is a professional job and therefore requires serious attention and effort! If you feel your nanny skills have been lacking, make it a New Year’s Resolution to try some of these tips to make your work relationship more harmonious!
