To not give builders food

[ThiswillDoItsfine]

Help me settle this difference of opinion. I have a company coming out in 3 weeks time to install a lot of fencing. I mentioned to dh that I will get them coffee, tea, and biscuits/cookies in to have with drinks. Dh is saying just the drinks is fine, and for me to just offer it as and when. The job is going to take 2 days. I want to give the men something to eat as well, at the very least.
DH is then saying he doesn't want them trailing through the house, which I do understand. However, I was going to set a table outside with a flask, tea bags, coffee, milk & sugar, and bowl of biscuits so that they could help themselves. I thought this would be less restricting and mean that they can get it when they want, without waiting for me to ask. I also think it saves me running around when i have a child to look after. DH is saying that this is well over the top.

Is this okay? Or is it wrong i set this up outside for them? It is an outdoor job, so I thought it would be easier all around, and they'll be working hard.

Thank you.

Maybe they just pee in bottles in their own houses 😂

If I am in when my cleaner comes, I will make her a coffee at least once, and will offer anytime I am also making one.

If I'm not in, she knows she can help herself to a drink and she does - she sometimes texts me to tell me if she really liked a type of tea 😀

I think you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat people serving them in some way…!

Definitely offer drinks and biscuits. Am sure they will appreciate it.

We’ve had a lot of tradesmen in recently from an extension, builders, plasters, painters etc. I have offered them all drinks (no biscuits) and all of them have declined. They bring their own flasks and their own food. By all means set them up with a drink/biscuit station but I wouldn’t even expect it to be used based on our experience

Oh god do I need to make them breakfast? I figured they would have had it, or bring it. It is a two day outdoor fencing job. Is biscuits and choc bars/crisps not enough? My dm was saying to make them bacon sandwiches, I wasn't going to.

My Gardner likes his cup of coffee mid morning with a couple of biscuits is there’s any going, I always make this for him and we normally stand and talk garden for 10 minutes while we have it, but then I do some of the garden he does the heavy work or we work together planting pots etc.

im luckily have a utility room with a door to the garden and a loo off from it so I always tell workmen I’ll set them up in there , there’s just about room for 3 garden chairs so I say to bring them in if they want to sit in the warm/dry.

it wouldn’t dawn on me not to offer bathroom and drinks tbh, biscuits/cake etc is an extra

Biscuits, tea access to your toilet. I've given ice cream when very hot

Tell your DH if he wants them to have hot drinks made "as and when" then he can do it himself.
What you're suggesting sounds fine.

Absolutely!

My husband would make them tea and toast or sausage butty first thing then they helped themselves to tea/biscuits throughout the day. I would leave all the stuff out for them, it saved me having to make them.
They were doing the landscaping for about 3 weeks though.

Yes I was worried about this. Last time they accepted every time I asked, so I was running about and needed the station! This time it'll be just my luck to set it up, and it not be used.

Your DH is stingy. I thought you were going to say you were offering to make them lunch, not set up drinks and buy a packet of biscuits for them, which would be a bit OTT.

And not letting someone use the toilet: just why? We all have bodily functions. How would you feel if you couldn't use the loo at someone's house? Worst case scenario they pee in your garden. Boak.

They’ve always observed the posher the house the less hospitable the client!

I wonder how much of this is about WFH

I have had the odd comment from tradesmen about infrequent tea rounds and I have sometimes had the sense that they assume I am not really working because I am WFH

Your DH is being completely unreasonable about toilet access, absolutely outrageous. Would he think it reasonable for him to piss in a bottle at work?!

All the builders I know (and it's a lot) would be delighted with a set up where they can help themselves when the work is at a convenient stopping point, and make it the way they like.

Biscuits always welcome, and a nice thought - I don't think they'll be bothered about individually wrapped, if you'd rather just get a packet of chocolate digestives or something.

Perhaps consider cold drinks if it's sunny - cans of coke or bottled water? Generally people bring their own but it's nice to be nice, you know?

I'd probably chuck down a dust sheet or get/ask them to bring that sticky back plastic stuff to protect the floor from the door to the loo, and still ask them to take shoes off, especially if it's wet. But covering the floor anyway saves problems if they either forget or they've got mud or whatever on their clothes that might drop off.

Perfect
think the key thing is they can help themselves
whilst nice offering a brew if there 1/2 way through something or just put a mix on it’s not the best timing

That's nice! I stopped offering my cleaner coffee as she never once took me up on it, but it has never even occurred to me to offer bacon butties for her arrival etc. I wfh so have my own stuff to be getting on with when tradespeople are here.

oh yes we also provided cold drinks water, diet coke in the garage fridge as some very warm days

Exactly, I only want to put out a selection of individually wrapped biscuits and chocolate bars, some packets of Crisps to go with their drinks. Some ppl have mentioned sandwiches, pizza, bacon rolls and toast. I feel this would seem a bit over the top for a 2 days fence job?

I agree the bacon sandwiches etc are OTT.

And also a bit weird - I would hate to be randomly presented with a bacon sandwich while working. I don't even eat meat. And quite a few of the tradesmen we have had have had various dietary restrictions, e.g. observing lent

Yes exactly, I don't even eat breakfast myself either.

Your DH sounds horrible. Begrudges them a biscuit and using the loo? Is he as tight in all areas of his life or just where tradespeople are concerned?

You don’t need to make them breakfast but drinks and biscuits (and use of a toilet ) are standard in my world when having work done.

That's what I thought too. I would feel awkward if somebody gave me that, and if snacks are there they can at least have it if they want, without any awkwardness.
The last workmen we had in really liked the biscuits and ate the bowl full, so I filled it for the next day. I think it's better when they can choose. Also, there will be 3/4 men, too, not just one.

I'm in Australia so maybe a cultural difference, but I think I speak for most when I say I never give out tea or coffee or biscuits to tradies and I don't think the tradies would expect here! Even if it's middle of the summer in 36+ degree heat they are usually pretty equipped with whatever they need. The tradies get paid a whole lot here so I'm paying them to do a job not to give them drinks and food.
So basically you are obviously very generous! 😊

Seriously, what you were planning is fine, it's about being vaguely hospitable and friendly.

As for posh people treating workers badly - more like people who 'think' they're posh iyswim. Proper posh people ime appear with meals you've never heard of and announce it's 'time for tiffin' like everyone is eating cake every 4 hours and it's the most normal thing ever! 😂