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? 🤔

Did you not read op's post?
She has set out bottles of cold drinks every day.
And her dad was a builder so she isn't treating them like scum.

Completely disagree with everyone saying its not a big deal. You're already offering them snacks and drinks, its stealing. My partner is a tradesman. He has a cool bag, full of icepacks and has been taking extra drinks with him, it's not like we havent been warned its going to be hot. I would tell the boss, not the man who took them, who knows what else hes taking on other jobs.

So why suggest Op leave cheap drinks out for them when she’s already told us she left bottles of branded pop in an ice bucket for them to have?

You really need to get a life. Not very busy today?

It’s so hot. Can’t you buy in some extra cans for them for the fridge

Yes I will be busy, once I get ready for work. It was just a question 🤷‍♀️

If they're otherwise good and it's nearly finished I'd probably let it go, just because it's such a nightmare finding decent tradesmen now.

Why are you making them bacon sandwiches? You’re giving them frequent food n drink? It’s a heatwave and they helped themselves to a cool drink? Put a post it note on fridge- to say “yours are on the left only “? Etc…x

Agree. Bacon's bad anyway- it's a carcinogen and no one should eat it regularly.

Just speak to him direct. Hi, would you mind just having the food and drink here as the stuff in the fridge is for us. You cannot assume anything until you have spoken to him.

what a palaver - just talk to the foreman about it. he's likely to be pissed off that one of his team are taking liberties, especially given your baseline generosity.

it's doesn't have to be particularly confrontation just factual.

this probably sounds hugely patronising, but frame this as a training opportunity for yourself in how to deal with these annoying but minor issues, as they come up all the time

this probably sounds hugely patronising, but frame this as a training opportunity for yourself in how to deal with these annoying but minor issues, as they come up all the time

Do they? I've fed and watered tradesmen for the last 50 years but I've never had one take stuff from my fridge to take home with me after his boss has gone home.

Yeah a few cans of juice that they STOLE from the fridge. She did not tell them they could help themselves to whatever was in the fridge. Would you go into someone's house and open their fridge and help yourself? No one with any decency would.

I really cannot believe that so many posters think it is ok

What is wrong with people? 😂 Everyone saying “oh but it’s so hot, what’s a few extra cans?”… I’m sorry but in what other industry or job do you rock up to work with nothing to eat or drink and just expect those things to be provided for you?! They’re grown ass adults, the current heat isn’t a surprise that’s come out of no where, they’re more than capable of bringing their own water bottles/flasks, cans of pop if that’s what they want etc.

OP, I think you’ve been incredibly generous with your offering (certainly more than anyone would get from me 😅) and I completely understand why you’re miffed someone has potentially been raiding your fridge for the past 6 weeks. If it was a week long job, I’d probably look past it but 6 weeks is a long time to be helping himself to your family fridge especially when everything is so damn expensive at the moment.

In this case, I’d like to think it’s a misunderstanding/communication error and perhaps some youthful naivety rather than anything spiteful. Personally I’d have a word with the boss and say you’re really pleased with the work and happy to keep providing drinks for the team in the ice bucket but that if they need anything else can they please ask and not just help themselves from the fridge.

And to the people saying “but you’re having thousands of pounds of work done, surely you can stretch to a few cans?” That’s not the point. Firstly, OP may have saved for years to get this work done, just because they can afford the work done doesn’t suddenly mean they’ve got a bottomless pit of money to supply builders with food and drink for weeks on end. Secondly, it’s the principle. Surely we can agree that it’s not normally socially acceptable to just go through someone’s fridge without their permission? 🙃 And it does make you wonder, if someone thinks it’s ok to go through your fridge, what else might they be going through?

You need to read threads properly

I agree 100%.

We had the world's best tiler here in a hot summer. He worked topless in the bathroom and filled his water bottle.
Refused tea etc- that was just him.

We also had a team of 3 doing landscaping- tea was provided and a packet of biscuits. They brought their own lunches.

I can't believe this full catering and making bacon sarnies (I don't buy bacon anyway.)

I don't buy cans- we don't drink cans or pop.

I'd also draw the line as workmen's grubby hands being in my fridge.

They don't mean this specific issue. They mean, and said, these annoying and minor issues. As in, similar things.

They do. Things like this come up a lot. We do have to learn to manage them.

😘

I agree little things come up a lot and need to be cooked with.

I don't agree that a young workman stealing from my fridge, which he has no cause to think he has any right to look inside, to take cans home with him after his boss has left for the day is a little thing.

It's a violation. I've kept some very private things in my fridge in the past and there are a lot of people at the moment who wouldn't want the builder to know they're on Ozempic.

Dp and FIL are tradesmen, they're working outside at the moment and in every heatwave this year. They take their own drinks and food, of someone offers they might accept their offer of a cold drink or something to eat but they certainly wouldn't help themselves to someone's fridge contents. You're going above and beyond with what you're already providing.

Tell the gaffer ‘can you please make sure that your crew help themselves to the food I guve then and not from our fridge as this has happened a few times’. You don’t need to name names, he will have a word with the crew and frankly will likely be thankful that he is aware there is a piss taker in his ranks, no one wants their reputation tarnished by cheeky staff.

also, you have gone above and beyond most people barely offer a cup of tea, this person knows they are taking advantage of your kindness

If you don’t want to say anything, just don’t leave any cans etc in the fridge

@Furrypaws18 I'm actually quite disgusted that 26% of people think it's OK to walk into someone's kitchen and steal from their fridge

You are already going above and beyond supplying bottles of pop and biscuits. You didn't have to do that.

I'd have a word with the boss and say "I've been providing bottles of pop and biscuits for you all, but I would appreciate it if you would ask your workers not to enter our kitchen and take our drinks from the fridge."

I wouldn't mention the CCTV initially.

What else was stolen?

if you’re providing 2ltrs of coke etc and he took a couple of tins isn’t it easier just to provide tins of generic for them? Maybe he didn’t want to drink a 2ltr bottle in the car? Seems very tricky.

I hate confrontation as I would expect the builders to get defensive if approached about it. I also know how difficult it is to get good builders.
Not a great solution but I would take the cowards way out and leave nothing in the fridge that they would want!