AIBU to feel uncomfortable after builder helped himself to fridge drinks?

[Furrypaws18]

So we have builders in, everyday I give them pop, biscuits- on hot days lollies and a bacon butty on a Friday. They have toilet access/tea/coffee facilities readily available . I have purposely avoided access to my fridge so everything is out separately.
After thinking we were going through lots of drinks/snacks etc my husband decided to install a camera, to find the assistant looking through fridge and taking 2 cans for the journey home, so we think it’s been a habit. It felt like a violation. Problem is the job is otherwise going quite well, the gaffer is very respectful of the house and toilet etc but feel a bit like a soft touch now.
Boss 99% has no idea because it’s always been after he’s left. Don’t want to sour the job/their relationship etc but want him to know it wasn’t acceptable without a big showdown. Would also like to use them again, but the trust is tarnished. It’s only been drinks/food I think but still feels like a liberty. Am I being dramatic, have I given the impression it was ok? 🤔

Wow bacon butties! I got fed up with making mugs of tea for the tradie but could see occasionally he'd made himself tea obviously didn't mind his getting milk from the fridge.

I wouldn't give a f#ck. The work's going well, and they're good workers, so what the hell do a few cans of juice matter?

For the sake of a few cans of pop I wouldn’t create bad feeling. Say to whoever is in charge that you noticed someone going in the fridge on the camera and you just want to clarify the refreshment situation.

It is warm so either set up a cool box or set out rules of what can be taken from the fridge ie help self to milk for tea/coffee, and there are two cans for everyone perhaps - and just put in the right number of cans, hiding the rest of the pallet in another room.

Setting up a spy cam because of a couple of cans of pop? That's absolutely bonkers batshit. 😅
Surely if it wasn't anyone in the household drinking them, then the only other plausible offenders would be the builders. In which case, have a word if you need to. But to set up sneaky cameras? I honestly think that's mental!!

You are not being unreasonable but I don’t think I would say anything. It’s just a couple of cans of coke and it may well be that because you have been making them sandwiches, giving ice lollies and drinks etc, they thought it was ok.

For me it's definitely not ok. I would tell the gaffer but only once the jobs finished. Also worth a quiet word with the builder who's doing it, tell him you're happy to give them drinks but not for them to take them

I’d buy a lock for the fridge and stop all the extras. I can’t abide men who take liberties with other people stuff.

Yes it’s hot. Yes they could do with cold drinks. Newsflash they are adults and perfectly capable of sorting their own food and drink out for their day. If they want cold drinks they can buy decent thermal bottles or bring a cooler full. Or even ask if they can put some drinks in your fridge to keep cool. Plenty of options available to them that don’t involve stealing from the OP.

WTF are you on?? My OH is a builder and he would never dream of doing this. He's always grateful if a client offers refreshments but he doesn't expect them. This is NOT a "trades" bashing thread it is a cheeky twat bashing thread.

It has been exceptionally hot yes. Which is why water from the tap is such a brilliantly fantastic option. Its free and drinking as much as is necessary is totally fine.
Pinching stuff (however inexpensive) that hasnt been offered is not.

Are ‘grown adults’ not allowed ice lollies? Frozen water/juice??? Must have missed the memo…..

Best remove the load i’ve got in my freezer cos we are having a hot summer and an ice lolly helps cool me down 😂

wow @Furrypaws18 you seem to have attracted an awful lot of people who can’t read either your first post or follow ups. Where you state you are giving them plenty of free cold drinks and even bacon butties!

You have done much more than i would. Tea and coffee available. We have bottled water currently for our decorator but she’s drinking tap water or going to the shop. Anything else, do whatever all do and provide your own food and drinks for work! I’ve never made sandwhiches or various breakfast offerings for any trades people and still had decent service .

I can't imagine having people workimg in my home, a very manual job and begrudging them some cans of drinks. Installing a camera to basically catch them out is unhinged.

So how does that work then? She doesn't mind them having them but it's the principle of them taking them? What's What's difference at the end of the day?

OK, so you leave then more than generous supplies in a chill bucket and seem to cater very generously for them. Good tradesman are hard to find and I get why you treat them so wwell.

However they should not be helping themselves to stuff in your fridge or cupboards without asking.

Personally I would just have a gentle word and ask them not to take anything from the fridge or cupboard without asking first as you cater to the whole families needs and you keep thinking there is stuff in the fridge for them than is not there. You are not saying no to drinks, you are saying ask! If you have supplies they can then have them, and if they are already spoken for, they cannot and they need to ask as that is not their decision to make.

However, is he taking two tins as there are two of them for the journey home or because he is greedy, if its being greedy, he needs to just have one IF you say its OK WHEN he asks.

We had someone in fitting doors i know them and we were last job and it was a hot day so I offered them a beer and stuck a couple more in the freezer for them , they drank a full 20 crate 🙈 they kept adding more to the freezer .

As someone who has lived in an attic bedroom since Jan 2025 and still has an unfinished renovation due to three different builders being atrocious - let the good ones drink the drinks. If I ever find a fourth decent builder to finish my hovel of a home, I’ll go to Waitrose and stock a full fridge of beverages for them! Let this go and you hang onto those unicorns.

Of course

Not something I would’ve set up a canara for! 🤦‍♀️

I would’ve just said, hey guys are you taking drinks from this fridge? Give them chance to say, yeah we thought you said that was ok or whatever!

Are you a bot? you obviously can't read

I set up the canera because it was a prolonged series of events, weeks of stealing

And what else have they “stolen”, still don’t understand why you just didn’t ask them?

Just talk to the manager and say that you don't want his workers going into the fridge.

Y'know, like an adult.

Some people clearly have very clearly had a different upbringing to me. The only person's fridge that I will even be opening without permission is my mum and dad's, let alone taking anything from. This is coming from someone that would actually have little issue with it, but it would make me uncomfortable that they had broken my trust and I feel providing them food/drinks of their own made clear to them that they were not to help themselves.
I wouldn't necessarily bring it up as an argument, but I would maybe say something (text more than likely because I hate any sort of confrontation) along the lines of "if you want any different/more food and drink, please let me know and I will try and get it in for you."

If you had cameras in your house and didn’t tell me I would feel that was a violation. So it’s a two way violation. I think it’s cheeky of them. But if you want them to come back I wouldn’t mention it. It’s been really hot. Maybe just leave some cans out for them from now on?