BRRRRRR!!!!!!!

[the invisible man]

By "workmen" I assume you mean construction workers. Whether they get paid when rained off depends entirely on the contractual situation and how they are employed: most activities on a site are carried out by specialist subcontractors any many operatives are self-employed. As with archaeology, time is money as time lost not working has to made up - extensions of time are not granted for adverse weather conditions, only exceptionally adverse. On the other hand many activities cannot be carried out in the rain, or temperatures below 5 degrees - anything involving wet stuff, basically - concrete, bricklaying etc. Then again, the project is (usually, but not always!) programmed properly.

We owe the dead nothing but the truth.