Do you feed workmen in your house?

[Spedk]

Had a lovely man come in to fix the boiler. Made him a cup of coffee and offered him a slice of cake.

Just wondering what others tend to do.

We have had quite a bit of work done on our house over the last couple of years in all sorts of weather. We have always offered tea, coffee, hot chocolate or cold drinks well as a huge tune of biscuits. If the workers were here over a lunchtime, I've usually offered a sandwich. Over a couple of weeks it only works out to a few pounds extra and if it helps build a rapport, why not? To be honest, I think we've benefitted by much more than it's cost us, as often unforeseen issues crop up in building or renovation work which would normally cost extra. We've never been charged extra.

This is domestic labour. How is the world ever going to progress. Do you want your daughters serving food to men to keep them happy while also paying them to work? Get a grip.

No. My sons can do it.

Can I ask- totally off topic- why you typed "women" and workmen" rather than "woman" and "workman"? I see it everywhere and never understand?!

I completely agree with you, though I'd offer a brew!

Tell you what, why don’t you start a thread in Pedants’ corner and get it off your chest?

What does it matter? I like to get on well with people who are working in my house and if that involves keeping them supplied with drinks and offering a sandwich or whatever I'm having for much, I'm more than happy to do that. I hope that my daughter would be considerate enough to do the same.

What does it matter? Really? It matters because men aren't expected to run around after workmen, it is yet another expectation that only applies to women.

Do you only have a daughter or are sons allowed to be 'inconsiderate'?

@SouthLondonMum22 No, I don't have a son, just a daughter. I really can't get myself wound up about things like this, and I'm quite happy to treat all visitors to my house with respect and to offer them food and drink when they're doing work for me. If my husband was the one who was home and I was out, he would do exactly the same.

I work from home so if a workman is here, I'm working. Not running around after him when he likely has his own drink and food anyway.

I hate that it's the expectation. Even when a woman is trying to work too.

Um, my teen sons help sort it out. Sorry… does that not fit your narrative?

A cup of tea is my limit. They always have their own food anyway.

Agree. I'm working. They're working. They get told where the kettle is. That's it.

I'm a bloke, wfh, and always make teas and coffees for anyone working in our house, including the woman who recently decorated our bathroom.
It's nothing to do with 'domestic labour' or servility - it's basic good manners. Our sons would also quite happily do this.

I don't understand why you seem to assume that only women are at home and that only men work as painters, decorators, gardeners etc...

Tbh I can’t imagine a man would
ever offer to make a sandwich for a workman.

Then you have a very poor imagination. It was my dad who raised me to see that this was the norm. To me, it’s the norm… because my dad did it.

Do you serve them food?

It is more likely for women to be at home and it is more likely that workmen are men. But you already know that.

Not if they are here for a short job eg less than an hour.

I have done - yes.

The norm for you. Not the overwhelming majority of the male population. And as per your original post, workers coming to a rural farm for a days work is a bit different to the plumber coming to your suburban home for a couple of hours to fix a leaky pipe. If I was on a farm and brought some guys in I’d feed them to.

Exactly.

The odd man doing it doesn't mean it's the norm, there's always exceptions to the norm.

I got asked a test question i heard them saying 'go on then' is there a sandwich shop nearby seeing what the answer was.

I told them Tesco round the corner, I’ll make them drinks when i was having one, if not help themselves and plenty of biscuits available

I work from home, it’s frowned upon us having weekday deliveries I struggle to have breakfast before noon.

I wasn’t talking about farm workers. I was talking about tradesmen. Even on a farm, we needed plumbers and we did home renovations. Tradesmen just like you get.

Apparently it is “unimaginable.”

I generally offer hot or cold drinks. Might offer biscuits if I have them but in in my experience the biscuits are mostly refused if I’m honest! About 60% of the time tea or coffee is happily accepted if it’s a longer job. I would say almost all don’t want a drink if it’s a short job.

when I had the boiler replaced last year on the 2nd day i had to nip to the loyal shop to get some food for lunch as I didn’t have access to the kitchen (and didn’t have the cooker the night before) and I brought them back a doughnut each as I’d bought myself one. They very happy and enjoyed them with a cuppa with their lunch. This would be the exception rather than the rule though in my little experience.

I'd just offer a drink to someone who was just in for half an hour fixing something, if they were doing building work/fitting a bathroom etc I'd get biscuits in.