Have been asked to cover holiday at previous employment but....

[whoops]

The hourly rate only just covers the childcare if I was only to do 1 hour but I should be able to stretch out to 2 hours.
I can't think of anyway round it but I don't want to let them down either.
Does anyone have any ideas how I could get round this?

ask for a bit more money? if they got a temp in they would have to pay an agency fee

Sorry, don't understand ... is the problem your hourly rate, or the number of hours? You shouldn't feel like you are letting them down .. if the hourly rate is unsufficient to cover the childcare, then just le them know that - maybe they can up the rate?

I said I would do it as I thought I would have been able to do it from home but they want me to go in to do the work.
I will speak to the director when I am there on Wednesday and see if they can sort something out, I'm just worried that there won't be an awful lot to do and that I won't cover the childcare, I've managed to negotiate up as far as I could as it is I doubt I could add onother £5ph on top of it!

whoops - I think you need to be honest with them and tell them how much you need to cover your costs and make it worth your while.
I am sure that they would rather you do the work than they have to get an unknown person in who won't know the job.

HI whoops, how you doing?

Agree with everyone else. If they want you to do some work for them, you work out what hourly rate/other conditions you are happy to do it for, tell them, and it's up to them whether they meet those conditions or not.

If you no longer work for them they don't get to tell you what's happening, it's an even negotiation. Work out the minimum you are prepared to do it for and tell them. Or if you think it could be done from home, tell them that. If they won't/can't meet your conditions then they can go to an agency, pay an inflated rate and get someone who doesn't know what's what like you do. I know what I'd choose....

x-post with Iota who said in half as many words!

I'm good thanks Flowery how are you?

I don't like to push things as they were good to me while I was working for them (too nice for my own good
I'm going to take 4 half days so I can cover my current job and go to them and do a couple of hours there, they seem to be happy with that.

Not bad thanks, have a nanny now, starting next week, hoorah, so can get some proper work done, website launching v shortly!!