To(i)let or not to (i) let, that is the question.

I always wash my hands when I get home too.
I've usually been handling money etc.

Just wondering why posters think that germs or lack of germs (take your pick) etc causes conditions which may require medication?

Maggiemaybe I usually clean the loo before we have visitors!

ps I am no relation to Donald Trump either M0nica and absolutely no German or Scottish blood as far as I know.

im getting a wet room put in today i have had workmen use my loo without asking, and NOT closing the door, burp most of the morning, and fart, and swear, made me thankful i do not live with these people, we have no nearby toilets of id have sent them out

I take it you won’t be using those workmen again jannxxx?

My workmen/women are always perfect gentlemen/ladies.
We prefer to employ a better class of work people

As a partner in a (now) very small building business I see these issues from both sides.
We used to run a much bigger business and until I broke my arm very badly in three places, I used to provide a decent lunch for all of our men. I first noticed the need for this when the teenage workers often turned up with just a packet of crisps for lunch. We expected a good day's work from each of them and knew that would not happen without good fuel inside them.
We also bought them a daily newspaper of their choice so that they would have a vague idea of what was happening in the world.
We had a few strict rules.
1) Never ask any of our clients for a hot drink. They will be willing to give one initially but if it is a long job it is enough of an intrusion to have people in their homes without being expected to make drinks for them.
2) Never ever play radios or any form of music on any client's property either inside or out. Again it is intrusive.
3) No swearing
4) Treat clients and their homes with respect.
It is actually a legal requirement now for clients to provide toilet facilities either by having a portaloo on site or else by allowing access to a loo and handwashing facilities in the house.
If well meaning householders insist on giving cups of tea throughout the day , the person losing money is the employer. The men have two fifteen minute breaks , morning and afternoon and half an hour for lunch. However the men will almost always accept cups of tea and then waste time chatting to the householder.
We have been blessed with brilliant clients who have used our services for forty years time and time again.
When I stopped making lunches for the men we increased their wages accordingly. I don't know what they ate after that but they seemed to be fine. Maybe I micro-managed too much before that.

I admit to being slightly bemused by the number of people who are bothered by guests/workers etc. using their toilets. My house has two toilets that are accessible to visitors, one is downstairs and used by the gardener or people working at the back of the house and the other is on the first floor and more usually used by guests. Close family and friends use either.

It has never occurred to me that there might be an issue with this. Except for that one time when a total stranger entered my house and asked where the toilet was...... he got short shrift! (He'd been let in by another visitor who simply assumed I knew him.)

How very odd.
Providing workmen with lunch money and giving delivery drivers sandwiches, crisps and drinks.

I think most of us would offer tea or coffee to workmen and personally, if they asked to use the loo, then it would appear mean to say no.

I’m not keen on anyone using my loo, but there are times when you really can’t refuse.

Oddly enough, I had a chap come to erect a new shed in my garden some time ago now.
He was working on his own and the job took longer than either of us anticipated. He arrived at 8am and didn’t leave until around 8pm. I supplied him with endless cups of tea, but he didn’t request to use the toilet once.
As the day wore on I thought he must be bursting by now so I asked him if he’d like to use the facilities.
His answer was ‘no thank you, I’m ok’ .

kwest

It’s interesting that you mention your workmen being told not to have a radio on in the customer’s house as that is a pet hate of mine.

The number of times I have asked workmen to turn their ‘music’ down and they look at me in bemusement.

The homeowner/ customer shouldn’t be inflicted with it.

They do comply but it shouldn’t be necessary.

Are you in the Home Counties by any chance ? I like the sound of your company.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

I have every sympathy with a workman who wants the radio on while he works.

I have never had a workman have his radio on so loud that it causes me any problem. .

A workman/woman having a radio on down low wouldn’t bother me either.

I had the supermarket delivery driver at the door earlier and on the back of this thread I did wonder if I should have made a round of sandwiches for him arriving. I settled for a cheery hello and a chat about the weather instead and he seemed quite happy with that.

It’s not so much the volume Monica as their choice of so called music!

Having said that if it was only audible in the room where they are working it wouldn’t be so bad but often that’s not the case.

jog on?

LOL

Are you 15 *Gabriella) - is that the most eloquent insult you could make?

A grown woman might try using her words to explain .

I have an upstairs and downstairs loo thank goodness. If workmen are here I can use the one farthest away from them. I hate the thought of them hearing me having a tiddle. I don't like using public toilets for that one reason unless I really have to.
I must say that I've had brilliant workmen over the years who clean up and hoover before they leave.
They bring their own lunch and eat in their van. I offer tea/coffee and biscuits.
I'm another that always cleans before they arrive and it doesn't bother me should they use the toilet but I wouldn't be happy if they didn't flush the toilet. Do they wash their hands? I don't know.
Not that I give couriers a bottle of drink or food but in my mind I think that Gabriella is very thoughtful in doing so. Especially during hot weather.

My mother once caught the gutter man urinating in her hydrangea.

That sounds much worse than it was.

She told him to use the loo next time.

It's difficult. If they're there all day they are going to have to go somewhere.

I'm lucky that Mr Minty can do all manner of DIY and I allow him to use our loo

I think I'd be uneasy as well. Especially with a non-flusher

I think I might have vomited

Well at least it was only a pee (always an upside!)

For the person who's having their bathroom completely altered, it's quite usual for a company - if there is to be no loo for a few days - to hire a portaloo. We had a bathroom completely re-done this time last year and the workmen had one outside in the garden. Also, when we had our kitchen completely rebuilt, the owner of the company insisted the workmen have a portaloo then as well. "Trust me," he said, "you won't want them using your bathroom."

I’ve had workmen indoors and on the building site next door for 4 months. None has had a radio on except the scaffolders. I told the builders to use my outside tap for the cement mixer and they have a Portloo. They are considerate and friendly.
Workmen indoors get tea or coffee and homemade biscuits. I’ve never heard of anyone feeding them. I assume they will use my loo and that’s never been a problem.

This has been a fascinating conversation to read through.

I’ve been tempted to ask workmen to pee on our garden compost heap but a poo would not be welcome there.

As for snacks for the like of Hermes and other delivery drivers, amazing. How would you even know what kind of drink or crisps the drivers like!

I do give the Hermes driver a Christmas bonus because he has been coming for years and is super reliable.

Really don’t understand what the fuss is about. If he didn’t flush that could be irritating....but it was pee....no big deal...just flush. You knew he didn’t wash his hands because? Everyone needs to pee and poo. Workmen are the same as everyone else. I work for a Lord now....and he functions the same as any other human. I’m a registered nurse too, so 30 plus years of nursing. In hospital everyone uses the same loo’s...at work we use the same loo’s....if you need to go, you use public toilets. The fear of germs on this thread is really a bit OTT.

I will not give a snack or a drink to the big river delivery person because she parked across our drive today, disappeared, then when we realised who she was she didn't even have a parcel for us!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Are you in the Home Counties by any chance ?