'I want to hold them captive all day long': An Australian billionaire's tough new office rules for staff

Employees at Chris Ellison’s mining company are already banned from working remotely, and soon, even stepping out for a coffee might be off-limits.

“I want to hold them captive all day long,” said Ellison, CEO of Mineral Resources Ltd. “I don’t want them leaving the building, not even for a coffee. We figured out a few years ago how much that costs.”

Ellison highlighted the perks at the company’s Perth headquarters—a facility equipped with a cafe, restaurant, gym, creche, reflection room, and wellness center. The 67-year-old mining veteran believes these amenities keep employees firmly anchored at their desks. “They love working here,” he remarked.

“I have a no-work-from-home policy,” Ellison reiterated during a call with analysts following an earnings update. “I’d like to see more companies adopt this approach—the sooner, the better.”

He also criticized the trend toward shorter workweeks, saying, “We can’t have people working three days a week and getting paid for five.”

Ellison’s strict office policy is unusual in Australia, where remote work has become commonplace for many white-collar workers. Most companies now offer at least two days of remote work per week, a shift especially embraced by parents managing work and childcare.

To support working parents, Ellison pointed out that the company’s daycare center charges only A$20 ($13.58) a day, a significant reduction from the typical external cost of around A$180 a day.

“Drop the little ones off next door,” he suggested. “We’ll take care of them, but mum and dad will be working in our office.”