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Original poster

Offering workmen teas/coffees (aibu)

130 replies

Bu22 · 13/10/2023 10:44

I just don’t know if I am being completely unreasonable here.

We have builders in at the moment (not in our flat but in the flat opposite which is owned by us).

Seeing as it belongs to us, I immediately started offering them teas/coffees the day the works commenced.

It’s not a problem when there is just 1, 2 or 3 workmen in at a time. But.. sometimes there’s 5-6 of them and because i’ve started it, they now just knock (twice a day usually) and ask for their teas & coffees.

Like I say, if there’s just a couple or a few of them I don’t mind at all. When i’m standing around making 5+ cups of different teas and coffees though, whilst looking after two young children, it gets a bit annoying. I’m also sick of seeing all the mugs left outside my door at the end of the day needing to be washed - although I suppose it’s good that they always give them back instead of leaving them laying about.

Part of me feels it is reasonable, part of me thinks it isn’t.

Although I can’t exactly turn around and say no even if I wanted to so I suppose I will just have to deal with it!

Bare in mind they’ve been in for nearly 3 months…. I’m done with the sight of the kettle atm! I even contemplated getting a cheap kettle for them but then that would probably look rude and where would they keep the milk…

OP posts:
warriorofhopelessness · 13/10/2023 21:59

Theforeverhome · 13/10/2023 10:50

We set up a station with kettle with tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits and put milk in an ice bucket every morning. Let them help themselves. Wash mugs and teaspoons every night. Sugar cubes were suggested as less likely to be spilled.

This.

fetchacloth · 13/10/2023 22:03

Whataretheodds · 13/10/2023 10:47

MN consensus on this before has been leave them a kettle and all the tea/coffee materials and let them make them themselves as and when they want.

I agree, I've done this before and most work men/women seem to prefer this arrangement.

EveryoneButSam · 13/10/2023 22:06

We had builders around for 3-4 months recently, I made them multiple cups of tea a day whilst working from home, as did dh. They never came knocking and asked for it though! Waited for me to offer every time.

Have to say I didn't really mind doing it even though I don't do hot drinks myself so was never making one for me. We did get through a LOT of sugar. One bloke had 5.

SM4713 · 13/10/2023 22:12

DH and I don't have sugar in tea or coffee. It must be something learn in trade school, that you must have a minimum of 2, heaped spoons in each drink. We went through more bags of sugar in 1 month, than I'd normally use in a year! 1 workman had 4 spoonful's in each cup! 😱

As said up thread, sugar cubes aren't as messy- but more expensive!

Fionaville · 14/10/2023 20:22

I was about to say YABU. My mum's had builders in for two weeks and has been making them bacon butties 😅 But it was only two weeks. Yours is a lot longer so YANBU

Mememe9898 · 14/10/2023 20:22

Maybe if you want to be extra nice get them some packaged milk, sugar, tea bags and a kettle.

Lakeland Dairies UHT Semi Skimmed Milk Sticks - 10ml (120) https://amzn.eu/d/feDAeEc

It sounds like you are operating a “coffee shop” asking you to make them drinks twice a day! I wouldn’t do it if it was that long. A couple of days is ok but not for months!

Noodles1234 · 14/10/2023 20:23

I’ve always done it for workmen / ladies, hasn’t bothered me. Dirty cups can be a grind, but if bothers you just leave a cheap kettle, mugs and some milk over at the flat.

saffy2 · 14/10/2023 20:29

We’ve had workmen here for 3 weeks. I’m pregnant and pretty sicky. I haven’t offered once. They worked last day and my boyfriend offered and made them all tea and when I said that was the first they’d had he was horrified 😂 I haven’t offered this week either.
they ordered McDonald’s Uber yesterday, so I think they’re fine 🤷🏽‍♀️ They’re not wasting away of hunger or thirst. And I’m too blah to care! 😂

Honeybee798 · 14/10/2023 20:35

Just get them a kettle and set them up a station for drinks. Take the mugs and wash them at the end of the day. I would hate to work somewhere that I couldn’t get a hot drink without needing to go and pay an extortionate price for it.

DBinHK · 14/10/2023 20:41

I wouldn’t like to have to work all day with no hot drinks.

Why would you have to? You could bring your own.

CornishClott · 14/10/2023 21:05

I can remember years ago , work men asking me to fill up their water bottles, which I did as it was a hot summer . There was an outside tap in my garden but I didn't offer them the use of it even though they were working on the road for a couple of weeks as I knew if I was out they would start using my garden to pee in , it happened to my friend when she let workmen use her outside tap when she was at work all day .

Canisaysomething · 14/10/2023 21:06

All the builders I have ever worked with set up their own drinks station.

Differentstarts · 14/10/2023 21:10

I set out tea and coffee stuff say help yourself then go out for the day.

Stompythedinosaur · 14/10/2023 21:50

Personally I think offering tea/coffee a couple of times a day is part and parcel of having builders doing work, but leaving a kettle and supplies out is a good alternative.

Aghast1066 · 14/10/2023 22:12

Is that really so much of a chore? A few cuppas twice a day. Christ alive, it's not a 3 course meal they're after. Just workmen in your (2nd) flat.

Minster2012 · 14/10/2023 22:30

Yeah I had a renovation done and when we lived in the house & there were 3 tradesmen I offered twice a day plus biscuits but no more as it stopped them working

When we moved out to facilitate the work I left a kettle & stuff for them & brought biscuits twice a week

When we moved back in & it wasn't complete one person said to me "put the kettle on" whilst I was WFH & they were having a break

I said "I can't, the kettle I left broke & no tap yet, sorry"

I was very polite, very nice but I wasn't pandering (2 x dc here in a building site with live wires out for weeks) If they are asking if ignore

Minster2012 · 14/10/2023 22:32

Ps I did occasionally though bring cakes they could help themselves too. And one day when there was due to be lots of ppl, bacon sandwiches.

It meant sone of the shitty little jobs got done they weren't technically responsible for but helped me out with got done

Princesspollyyy · 14/10/2023 22:36

Honeybee798 · 14/10/2023 20:35

Just get them a kettle and set them up a station for drinks. Take the mugs and wash them at the end of the day. I would hate to work somewhere that I couldn’t get a hot drink without needing to go and pay an extortionate price for it.

So take your own?? Ever heard of a thermos flask?

inloveandmarried · 14/10/2023 22:55

I had this once for ongoing work for 9 months!

Five of them. Have to say we knew them pretty well by the end of the build.

Morale is helped a lot with good tea/coffee and biscuits. I'd make the first cup and offer biscuits then leave them to make their own for the rest of the day.

I did on occasion make them all toasted sandwiches and often cakes. But I'm a feeder.

To be honest they were local chaps and a few older ones. They felt like a second family by the time they left us.

Vand · 15/10/2023 01:55

Workies have never had a drink off me.
I don’t drink tea or coffee. I don’t drink milk either. I don’t even keep squash in because I don’t drink that 😅

FickleProcrastinator · 15/10/2023 02:27

Theforeverhome · 13/10/2023 10:50

We set up a station with kettle with tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits and put milk in an ice bucket every morning. Let them help themselves. Wash mugs and teaspoons every night. Sugar cubes were suggested as less likely to be spilled.

This is a great suggestion. When in my house, I'd like to see their face when they get a carton of Oatly barista 🤣

AGovernmentOfLawsAndNotMen · 15/10/2023 02:35

We regularly convert, build etc buildings.
One or two ‘drop in for a few days’ builders its fine to make coffee.

Regular ‘there every day’ builders make their own

Provide a Kettle and an electric socket.

Or they start taking the p….
I even had one that expected oat milk. Another who wanted fake sugar. No. Sorry. That’s it from me.

They can make their own.

Flatandhappy · 15/10/2023 02:35

Tradies here (Aus) have usually said no to tea and coffee if offered as they tend to be pretty self sufficient and bring their own. I do make sure I bring out iced water or squash regularly though if they are working outside in the heat.

I think if the work is nearly done at your place I would suck it up as any new arrangement lets them know you are unhappy. Obviously if they are going to be there for months yet you could set up a station and say “this way you can have drinks when you want them rather than having to ask”.

Jelllytot · 15/10/2023 02:38

Just a quick message to say you could use powdered milk like Marvel?

I don't drink tea/coffee so don't know if that is blasphemous but when my office fridge broke, I saw some people have their tea like that

AGovernmentOfLawsAndNotMen · 15/10/2023 02:39

Princesspollyyy · 14/10/2023 22:36

So take your own?? Ever heard of a thermos flask?

Show quote history

If builders have access to a sink and running water why do they need the owner to wash up their mugs.
I don’t do that either I’m afraid.
Im paying for them to do work. They aren’t paying me to clean.
If they are on a large building site they are capable of looking after themselves without a maid, why is your home any different.

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