The iconic tradition of a builders’ brew could become a thing of the past, despite 4 in 10 describing it as “a British institution”, due to traders across the UK facing their busiest year on record. As a result, builders, plumbers, electricians, and others in similar trades are working five extra hours a week and taking 30% fewer tea breaks than they did five years ago. These brewing (ahem!) work pressures mean that people in these trades will each take 216 fewer tea breaks this year, compared to five years ago.
British customers aren’t helping matters either, as 1 in 10 workers say they’re never once offered a cup of tea by the people whose homes they’re in. While 1 in 7 (15%) are only offered a single hot drink during the whole job. What’s more, of the cups of tea that are made, tradespeople will see 380 of them turn stone cold because they’re simply too busy to drink them.
National Tea Day
To celebrate National Tea Day which is today, the 21st of April, TV presenter and DIY enthusiast Melinda Messenger delivered cuppas and butties to builders on a cherry picker. If you’re parched today and need a cup of tea tell your boss it’s a British thing and pop the kettle on. National Tea Day’s slogan is “Brew More. Do More.”, so hopefully a cuppa will refresh you and enable you to get back to work with a vengeance.
If you do have the builders in… make sure you offer them tea today!
ManoMano Pro
Luckily, ManoManoPro is on hand with a brand-new platform launched yesterday, created for the trade, by the trade. Offering a simple way to buy tools and materials, seek advice and streamline admin, it pledges to give professionals back an hour of their day, every day.
We know that traders are facing one of their busiest years on record and want to make their lives easier. With a digital-savvy population of traders in the UK, we hope this platform becomes their back-pocket go-to for all their tools and materials and that those all-important cups of tea go cold no more!
– Arnaud Deschamps, VP of ManoManoPro
It’s not just tea breaks traders are missing out on either, with many now having less time for their family, social activities and even sleep due to work pressures. Over half (52%) say they’re missing out on time with their family. Nearly six in ten (58%) say they aren’t getting enough time to relax while nearly half (48%) claim they’re even missing out on sleep due to ramped up work demands.
Despite working longer hours, many of those who were surveyed still say time is being wasted on the job. The average tradesperson says they waste around 4 hours each week to pick up materials; waiting around for products to be delivered; and chasing up fixtures and fittings that arrive with missing parts.
In addition, they’ll waste 51 hours this year alone comparing prices across various websites to ensure competitive rates for their customers… something that ManoManoPro hopes to solve – by offering competitive prices, regular promotional deals and an unrivalled catalogue of products.
- And for those wondering just how important the builders’ brew is in the UK:
- 38% of traders describe it as “a British institution”
- 32% of traders still have two or more sugars in every cuppa
- And the preferred shade? 30% say deep tan!
