Contractor wants donuts? (do you provide refreshments?)

[Anonymous]

When we have an ongoing/longer term construction project at the house, I leave a cooler with some sodas/water and some type of snacks out for the workers. You get what you give - you’re likely to end up with a better quality completed job if you treat the workers well. You don’t have to do a Dunkin run - could just pick up some pastries/donuts at the grocery when you are there and put out something in the morning. Treat them well and they’ll treat your project well.

[Anonymous]

I make them a pot of coffee and set out paper cups, cream sugar etc. daily and also provide donuts or lunch at least a couple of times a week.

[Anonymous]

Your husband definitely asked if they wanted anything.

[Anonymous]

Nope. And I had $300,00 reno done on my home.

[Anonymous]

You’re not helping the crew as much as you think by getting them donuts or drinks. They need water which their employer must provide. They need healthy food, the donuts will sit like lead.

[Anonymous]

I had no idea people did this until after my renovation. We had our basement finished, we were first time home buyers who knew nothing and saved for years to pay cash for this work. Then reading Houzz months later I learned I was supposed to have bought them lunches and provided drinks every day. Lesson learned.

[Anonymous]

No. I’ll provide water in the heat. B

[Anonymous]

Its wrong of them to ask, but I always leave a cooler with drinks and often some snacks. Being nice goes a long way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's one thing if you decide to give them a treat. It's another for them to ask for it.

Also, they have to see you rushing out the door to work. Why does this guy think you should be going out to get him food? Rude.

100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're having the basement of our house worked on. Different subs are in and out, but there are two guys who work for our GC who are at the house 2-3 days per week. On Friday, one of them told my husband that it would be nice to have donuts.

I told my husband that I couldn't handle going to Dunkin or Krispy Kreme and circling back on top of the usual morning routine and maybe he could handle it...but I was a little irritated that the guy said that in the first place. Are people providing refreshments for workers? If I wasn't working an office job (work from home ended last month for us), perhaps I'd feel more inclined because I'd interact with them more, but I was surprised by the comment.

Yes. Especially if it is an all day job, you supply bottled water and lunch. I give a heads up I'm ordering lunch in case they don't want any. Sometimes they just want to leave for a break. I guess your guys prefer donuts. Can't you buy day before?

Did you see the part about her working? She’s not home ordering lunches for herself, she’s at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When we have an ongoing/longer term construction project at the house, I leave a cooler with some sodas/water and some type of snacks out for the workers. You get what you give - you’re likely to end up with a better quality completed job if you treat the workers well. You don’t have to do a Dunkin run - could just pick up some pastries/donuts at the grocery when you are there and put out something in the morning. Treat them well and they’ll treat your project well.

This.

The comments here about how the lab rats will run faster on their wheels if you don't give them pellets are bizarre.

If the guy asked totally out of the blue, he sounds socially awkward, though there's an outside chance he's truly an entitled jerk.

But all of this is :

-I paid $100k and never thought to offer food
-At my job not doing manual labor, working for a corporation/government that doesn't give a sh-- about me, I bring my own food
-I don't even feed my babysitters
-Donuts will make them fat and lethargic, provide quinoa instead
-They work faster if you don't feed them

[Anonymous]

My brother was a GC and built homes for years... he told me more than once that getting drinks or food never impacted the quality of work the crews/subs did. So its not getting you anything. Now if you want to do it because you feel like being extra that's fine. We put water/gatorade drinks in a cooler, just to be nice. But no one we know who has done a major renovation ($75K+) was doing this cr@p.

[Anonymous]

We did a 100k reno and didn’t think to provide snacks. They were welcome to use the bathroom and grab some water. But they’re adults, not toddlers, you don’t need to feed them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're having the basement of our house worked on. Different subs are in and out, but there are two guys who work for our GC who are at the house 2-3 days per week. On Friday, one of them told my husband that it would be nice to have donuts.

I told my husband that I couldn't handle going to Dunkin or Krispy Kreme and circling back on top of the usual morning routine and maybe he could handle it...but I was a little irritated that the guy said that in the first place. Are people providing refreshments for workers? If I wasn't working an office job (work from home ended last month for us), perhaps I'd feel more inclined because I'd interact with them more, but I was surprised by the comment.

He shouldn’t have suggested it, but yes. I regularly bought donuts from Dunkin and sandwiches every morning the crew was working on my house. You can have them delivered to your house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did a 100k reno and didn’t think to provide snacks. They were welcome to use the bathroom and grab some water. But they’re adults, not toddlers, you don’t need to feed them.

Your bathroom... how nice 🙄 WTH. Would you expect to work in an environment without a bathroom or water? Amazingly inhuman.