CEO sparks controversy wanting to hold staff 'captive all day long' and not letting them leave for coffee

An Australian billionaire has controversially said he doesn't want his staff grabbing coffees as he wants to hold them 'captive all day long'.

CEO of Mineral Resources Chris Ellison has claimed that workers leaving the site to grab a hot beverage is costing his mining firm too much money - despite the company raking in a record $550 million in profit in the last financial year.

Speaking during a financial results presentation on Wednesday (August 28), the Aussie explained his reasoning for why he doesn't 'want them leaving the building'.

"We have a lot of different benefits that we have brought on.

"Why have I done that? Because when I get them first thing in the morning, I want to hold them captive all day long. I don't want them leaving the building."

Mineral Resources' head office, located in Perth, incorporates a gym, a restaurant, a huge childcare center for up to 105 children, and as many as nine staff psychologists.

Reiterating his point 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 costs."

The head office in which the businessman is referencing has two cafes inside each serving coffee for $3, while the restaurant has subsidised meals like pad Thai for $10, a gym membership for $5 a week - as well as other incentives.

It is all Ellison's bid to make the workplace as attractive as possible as he told members that he wants to 'hold staff captive all day long', as he brought an end to remote working - which he has strong views about.

"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.

I kind of see his point, but I think he delivered it all wrong. If he was just speaking to shareholders then saying he wants to 'hold staff captive' might not have got him in trouble... but the message was shared with the world via YouTube.

Taking to Reddit one user fumed: "These billionaires are the worst people. All they do is complain as they literally have the world in the palm of their hands.

"They will never be happy or content. Maybe that’s their karma. A life chasing and grasping at the air. Not even a legacy left behind except greed and a life of undeserved self importance."

While another wrote: "If you don't PAY for my lunch hour, you don't own it.

"I actually had a school that tried telling me this once. 'We don't want you to leave during your lunch hour'.

"I told them exactly that."

With a third saying: "And people wonder why Unions started."

But not everyone was opposed, and there were quite a few people agreeing that it wasn't a bad move on the social media platform.

One gave an example of his employer: "I mean without naming names I work for a billionaire. He set up free food and coffee like 30 years ago in our offices."

He explained how his boss installed a coffee machine 'better than most stores' and he now saves '$30 a day'.

What are your thoughts?