An au pair is someone who performs childcare and light housekeeping duties for families in a foreign country, in exchange for accommodation and spending money.
The practice is perceived as an easy-going way for people to travel the world.
But, now, a survey of people who have au paired in Australia by academics from the University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University has found 60 per cent are doing much more work than reasonable under the traditional understanding of au pairing.
The report's authors are calling for the au pair industry to be better regulated to prevent abuse.
