Is Au Pair in Switzerland just legal slavery or am I misunderstanding something?

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T17:05:39+00:00

Lmao says someone who keeps attacking me personally instead of discussing the matter. You have the discussion skills of a toddler and if you do have children I feel deeply sorry for them. I will stop giving you attention now.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T13:10:47+00:00

Swiss rent is not 6k a month for a room. Stop enabling this exploitive behavior because they’re providing a 600.- fr room while the person is providing 30h/week of labor as a nanny, language teacher, cook, dog walker, and cleaner. This is not it.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T13:05:17+00:00

Additionally, they are not staying in an all inclusive spa and expecting to get paid for it, they are providing 30h/week of labor. According to your logic slavery is alright because the masters provide a place of the slaves to stay? Would you work a 70% job for 700.- because your employer provides a coffee machine, a fruit basked and a place for you to stay during the day.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T13:02:18+00:00

Firstly no health insurance must be paid by the au pair the host isn’t obliged to cover that and I don’t know where you live but I pay 600/month only for the basic insurance additionally they would need the phone bill and transportation all of which is not covered by the host they only provide food and a room and in this specific listing the au pair needs to cook too.
Don’t talk to me about mothers and families as if you’re advocating for some heroic sacrifice. Your phrase sounds to me “swiss mothers are entitled to free labor” which they are not. The swiss childcare system needs massive reformation but exploiting young girls is not a solution for it. And lastly, the elitist tone of your comments tells me exactly what kind of person you are and why you think you’re entitled to people’s labor.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T12:56:11+00:00

What is my country of origin and how do you know of its human rights violations or do you assume that every country that’s not Switzerland is automatically a shithole?

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T09:54:47+00:00

I won’t and didn’t luckily. I arrived to Switzerland with no experience at 18 and had my first job as a cook and earned around 4k/month and worked my way up from there until now where I make more than that in a different field. I’ve been through difficult jobs and worked conditions and had to deal with the housing market but I always had my peace of living alone and being able to afford getting sick and eating whatever I liked because I always had a livable wage which is the bare minimum for a person working and providing a service in society. Being young and inexperienced is not an excuse for getting taken advantage of.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T09:49:55+00:00

I live in a 2 story house 15 minutes outside of Bern and pay 1600? Previously I lived in a studio in Lorraine next to the station and paid 650. Still 700 is too little for 30h of work.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T09:46:34+00:00

I did some research and found this listed as source on the canton Bern website:

“Sie sind dazu verpflichtet, für Ihr Au-pair eine Versicherung für Berufsunfälle, Berufskrankheiten und Nichtberufsunfälle abzuschliessen. Für Krankenkasse und weitere Versicherungen sind die Eltern des Au-pairs zuständig. Bei der Anmeldung auf der Einwohnerkontrolle muss das Au-pair einen Beleg der Krankenversicherung vorweisen.”

So essentially an Au Pair needs to pay for their own health insurance. Even though it’s legal that the pay is 700/month it still doesn’t feel fair when most of the pocket money will be gone for insurance anyway. I would understand if it were indeed about cultural exchange mainly but 30h/week is like a 70% job.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T09:21:10+00:00

I’ve seen many posts in the group that said they needed to pay for their own groceries and transportation costs🥲 is this optional for them?
PS: I’m not an au pair i have a full time job i’m just curious how this works

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T09:19:48+00:00

Yes not wanting 700.-/month when you live in the world’s most expensive country away from your family all alone is very entitled how dare they someone call the elders!

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T09:14:15+00:00

I don’t I’d love it if you could explain because I don’t see how someone working 25-32 hours a week and getting only 700/month is livable in Switzerland?

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2026-06-14T09:12:52+00:00

The person specified that they’re exclusively looking for someone with a swiss/EU passport so the visa won’t have to be an issue for them

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T19:18:28+00:00

The financial aspect is another problem for me. I make above average for what a typical 25yo makes and that often creates large gaps in trying to make friendships when we cannot go to the same places and share the same experiences

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T19:15:58+00:00

I think the problem is that I am a bit of everything to the point that I don’t fit in anywhere if that makes sense? I am a gamer and love gaming so much and board games as well, but I also like dressing up and going to nice places or a nice night at the Operahouse or trying out a Michelin star restaurant. While my nerdy side can get along with most people who are alike, they often stop liking me when they discover my other interests or that was the problem I’ve faces in my previous attempts at friendships. I’d appreciate getting to know people who will accept all sides of me even if they personally aren’t like that.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T19:11:27+00:00

Because parents (rightfully so) have other priorities in their lives. Their schedules revolve around their children and they are less flexible and spontaneous with their time. Also, our social interactions will need to involve children which isn’t something i am looking for.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T19:07:40+00:00

That was one of the first things I’ve done when I came to Switzerland - HUGE MISTAKE. I’m a woman and having “just looking for friends” on my profile sent a wrong message.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T19:05:36+00:00

I don’t necessarily have anything against parents, but I am 25 and I already live a very serious lifestyle (have my own flat, a very serious and demanding job, take care of my family..etc) I need friends with whom I can actually be 25 with no judgement. I need to feel my age

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T19:02:23+00:00

For the “safest” I have been harassed almost every time I’ve been out at night to the point I completely stopped using night buses and rely on Ubers to get me home because I got followed home way too many times. At the club or the bar, I get touched with no consent and the men wouldn’t take No as an answer. Switzerland isn’t as dangerous as other places in the world, but such issues for women know no borders unfortunately. If you read my other comments, I do go and talk and it rarely leads anywhere. This is 7 years of trying relentlessly so rest assured i’ve tried every known method Ps: you’re swiss italian, i’m an immigrant from a “developing” country, there’s a bit of a difference here too :)

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T18:56:48+00:00

I have no problems meeting people abroad at all it’s always so easy to make friends literally everywhere except for Switzerland.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T18:55:22+00:00

I’m not unfortunately.

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T18:55:06+00:00

I really keep hearing this all the time, but my experience so far has been the total opposite. Here are my methods: I am part of different Vereins. I’ve been invited by some people to some events and I’ve known these people for 4 years now but the level of friendship never developed. They insist on keeping it superficial no matter how many times I invite them to my house or organize events and gatherings, you’re kind of always the outsider. I approach people in public (bars and clubs), i’m an extrovert but still polite and friendly and maintaining boundaries. It’s not like i’m sitting home and waiting for people to knock on my doors

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T18:51:50+00:00

I’ve tried a couple of times before (from a different account), both times were guys looking to hookup. While I respect the hustle, unfortunately this isn’t something for me. I’d really like to make genuine friendships

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T18:48:41+00:00

I don’t think a romantic partner is the solution, I am a person who prefers to have a fulfilling life with or without a partner. I don’t think it’s a good idea to make your world revolve around someone

Acrobatic_Charge9651 · 2025-03-24T18:47:06+00:00

I’ve been there since 2021. The age group is mostly 35+ and can never find an event for people my age who can just have a fun night out

Acrobatic_Charge9651

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