What’s the difference between an au pair and a nanny?
Nannies and au pairs both provide families with a flexible form of childcare, which is invaluable to so many families in the UK. However, there are some key distinctions and differences between nannies and au pairs that you should be aware of when deciding which sort of childcare is right for you and your children.
What is an au pair?
An au pair is someone who lives with a host family, helping with light housework and childcare. They usually work for no more than 30 hours a week and are not necessarily required to have any childcare experience or qualifications. An au pair usually live with the family to learn about British Culture, and they may also wish to attend English classes during their time in the UK.
An au pair may be classed as a worker or employee, depending on the nature of their relationship with you.
An au pair may fall under the category of a “worker” rather than an “employee,” depending on the level of control exercised by you the employer/host. For instance, if there are no set working hours and the arrangement is relatively informal, the au pair is more likely to be considered a worker. However, if the employer dictates a fixed schedule with set hours and days, the au pair may be classified as an employee.
Au pairs are entitled to National Minimum Wage (NMW), holiday pay, and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). They may need to pay Income Tax and National Insurance depending on their earnings.
What is a nanny?
A nanny is someone who you have employed, that works full-time or part-time in your home and looks after your children. A nanny will likely have qualifications in childcare, they may have completed training courses, and some nannies may have specialist skills such as speaking multiple languages or experience working with children who have special educational needs.
When you employ a nanny, you become responsible for a multitude of things, such as:
- paying your nanny’s agreed salary
- providing a contract of employment
- providing payslips
- Enrolling your nanny into a workplace pension scheme, if they qualify
- paying tax & national insurance contributions
- holding an employer’s liability insurance policy
- administering statutory pay, such as holiday pay and maternity pay
How can Nannytax help?
Becoming a nanny employer can be a daunting process, but don’t worry, Nannytax are here to help! From your initial Nanny PAYE Scheme set up to producing the final P45 when your nanny leaves, Nannytax’s dedicated team of nanny payroll experts are here to make employing a nanny easy.
