Chris Ellison is a billionaire, thanks to his work in mining and as the managing director of Mineral Resources. He wants to inspire the industry to follow his approach to workplace management, which includes banning work from home options and a desire to prevent office workers from leaving the office for coffee.
He outlines a number of good things in place to support this team of 8500 at mining giant MinRes, including a childcare facility, gym and restaurant, as well as the “resort-like” facilities MinRes has created for staff, which Julie Bishop famously walked through as an “ambassador” for the business.
But Ellison doesn’t sugarcoat why he does it.
He believes the industry can’t afford flexible work and work from home options. He’s seen the costs of allowing team members to leave work to get coffee and prefers to keep them “glued” to the office. Once they’ve arrived at work for the day, he wants to “hold them captive”. He certainly doesn’t want them “wandering around” to get lunch.
How do we know this? Because Ellison openly said as much during his Financial Result Presentation on Thursday, available here on YouTube.
Ellison spoke frankly and in a dry and dull tone throughout the presentation, which outlined a financial performance that included some disappointing results for part of their business and personal comments regarding how hard it is to go through downturns, having experienced many himself. “It’s not a fun time. It’s a shittie time,” he said. “We’re throwing everything off the deck to make sure we’re preserving cash.”
Such measures to preserve cash include ensuring they’re getting as much as possible out of team members.
“I don’t want them leaving the building,” he said. “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 cost.”
MinRes banned the option to work from home last year, and now Ellison wishes that “everyone else would get on board with that – the sooner the better. The industry can’t afford it.”
He said they are focused on growing female participation and retention of people over the last two years, and declared a 50 per cent reduction in people departing the 8500-strong workforce. He said female representation up 22.3 per cent.
MinRes is an outlier on the ASX, boasting a board that is 56 per cent women — one of very few boards to crack the 50 per cent mark for women.
However, all seven of MinRes’ executives are men, with Ellison taking questions during the financial presentation about why some of the company’s most senior women have left the business.
Ellison noted one particular concern regarding hiring more women, with “mothers” (no mention of fathers or families here) saying they are spending up to $180 a day on childcare.
To help solve the issue, Ellison said they are opening an onsite creche that will cost around $20 a day.
And there will be no need to take time out to take a pre-schooler to the doctor either. “We’ve got doctors on board and nurses. We’re going to feed them, but Mum and Dad will be working in our office.”
Reading words from a boss around wanting to keep employees “glued” to the office and held “captive” for the day could lead you to believe they were said in jest or even with humour.
But anyone watching or hearing the presentation would immediately understand he was serious with his words.
At one point, Ellison discussed the work they are doing on mental health – including with nine psychologists on the payroll – and shared how a female employee team member had taken her own life shortly after returning home, just three weeks ago.
“We’re taking people out of society and putting them on the payroll and putting them on site… we’re trying to do a lot more to prevent that sort of thing. It’s gut-wrenching when you see this,” he said. (There is no suggestion from Women’s Agenda of a link between this tragic incident and work conditions).
I came across the Ellison’s comments about coffee breaks costing the business via a story published in The Guardian this morning, and following the link to watch the financial presentation myself.
Incredibly, there are few other media reports regarding the comments made about banning WFH and his expressed desire to “hold them captive”, rather the financial press has focused on his comments about lithium and the “theatre” of his presentation and desire to “ride” out the downturn with there never being a dull moment at MinRes.
Further questions remain regarding why any CEO or MD feels it necessary to discuss a desire to hold team members “captive” once they arrive at the office for the day. Regardless of how resort-like and appealing the office facilities are and the financial results being delivered.