Do not leave the building, or take a coffee break – these are among the new instructions an Australian mining boss plans to give all his employees. The billionaire said this was costing their company a fortune and hence they plan to “hold staff captive all day long”.
Chris Ellison, the managing director of Mineral Resources, has announced that his company will install amenities at their head office in Perth which ensures that employees do not leave the building during their work hours.
During a financial results presentation, Ellison expressed his disapproval of staff leaving the building to buy coffee or work from home, stating that it’s costing the company too much money.
“I want to hold them captive all day long. I don’t want them leaving the building. I don’t want them walking down the road for a cup of coffee. We kind of figured out a few years ago how much that costs.”
He also criticised other companies that allow remote work, despite the trend towards more flexible work arrangements since the COVID-19 pandemic.
To keep employees in the office, Mineral Resources has invested in amenities such as a restaurant, gym, staff psychologists, and even a creche, which costs just 20 dollars a day. Ellison believes that these facilities will make the head office a desirable place to be, eliminating the need for staff to leave.
The company formally banned work-from-home arrangements last year, and Ellison is urging other businesses to follow suit. He also expressed concerns about the trend towards shorter working weeks, stating that the industry cannot afford to have employees working fewer days while receiving full pay.
“The industry cannot afford it. We can’t have people working three days a week and picking up five days a week pay – or four days,” he said.
