Au pairs are not excluded from employment law and enjoy the same protection as domestic workers. The ILO Domestic Workers Convention 2011 (No. 189) defines a domestic worker as any person engaged in domestic work within an employment relationship in or for a household or households. A person who performs domestic work only occasionally or sporadically and not on an occupational basis is not considered a domestic worker. Domestic work is generally accepted to include cleaning, cooking, laundry, childminding, care of elderly or sick family members, gardening and maintenance, driving, and any other duties relating to a household. The use of designations such as ‘Au Pair’ or other descriptions of arrangements between consenting parties do not in themselves mean that a person working in a home is not an employee under Irish law.

Domestic workers enjoy the same protection under Irish employment legislation as all other legally employed workers. The rights of persons employed in private homes are set out in a Code of Practice, produced by the Labour Relations Commission in consultation with representatives of Social Partners. This document may be viewed or downloaded from the link at the foot of the page. Please click here for more info https://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/ Publications_Forms/Domestic-Workers-in-Ireland.pdf or contact WRC: Tel: 059 9178990 Lo-call: 1890 80 80 90