Perth Mineral Resources boss Chris Ellison says staff shouldn’t be allowed to go on coffee breaks
A billionaire mining executive has admitted he likes to keep his staff “trapped” in the company’s offices, saying they are not allowed outside during their coffee breaks.
Chris Ellison, 67, who is reportedly worth about $1.2 billion, is the chief executive of Mineral Resources, headquartered in Perth.
Mr Ellison banned his staff from working from home last year and now wants them to stay in the office all day and not even go out for a quick cappuccino.
“I want to keep them captive all day, I don’t want them to leave the building,” he said on Thursday during the presentation of MinRes FY24 financial results.
“And that’s what we do, so I don’t want them to just go and have a cup of coffee somewhere along the road. A few years ago we already figured out how much that costs, and then they go away around lunchtime.”
Instead, Mr. Ellison has made sure his staff are eager to stay in the office by equipping the office with facilities including a restaurant, a daycare center that costs just $20 a day and can accommodate 105 children, and a gym, as well as on-staff psychologists.
“We have other facilities that keep them chained up there,” he said.
While many workplaces are offering hybrid work-from-home arrangements, Mr Ellison said more companies should follow his lead and bring their staff back into the office full-time.
Chris Ellison, 67, who is reportedly worth around $1.2 billion, is the chief executive of Mineral Resources, which has its headquarters in Perth
Mr Ellison has added facilities to his Perth headquarters (pictured), including a crèche and gym, to ensure staff stay in the office during the working day.
“I hope everyone will join in on this, the sooner the better,” he said.
We cannot allow people to work three days a week and get paid five days a week, or [even] four days.’
The father of six grew up in a lower-class family in New Zealand and was ranked 49th on Forbes’ list of the 50 Richest Australians of 2024.
Ellison’s comments come after Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, spent around $240 million on an office tower for her staff, a decision that will strike fear into the hearts of those still keen to work from home.
Mrs Rinehart purchased 175 Eagle Street in Brisbane’s CBD from Charter Hall, a property investment trust specialising in office buildings.
The sale of the 19-storey ‘A-grade’ building, which offers ‘breathtaking views of the Brisbane River and Kangaroo Point’, heralds a cautious return to luxury offices among major employers.
Vacancies in luxury office buildings, which surged during the COVID pandemic as most office workers worked from home, are only now beginning to fill again.