Airbnb to allow employees to permanently work from home: 'This is where the world is going'

Most Airbnb employees never have to return to the office again.

The company has announced it will allow workers to permanently work remotely. "You can work from home or the office — whatever works best for you," CEO Brian Chesky said.

Airbnb previously planned to have employees return to the office in September 2022, The New York Times reports. But Chesky said the new policy was informed by the fact that Airbnb had its "most productive two-year period" ever while employees worked from home during the pandemic.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"Two decades ago, Silicon Valley startups popularized the idea of open floor plans and on-site perks, which were soon adopted by companies all around the world," he wrote. "Similarly, today's startups have embraced remote work and flexibility, and I think this will become the predominant way that we all work 10 years from now. This is where the world is going."

At the same time, Chesky argued the "efficiency of Zoom" must be combined "with the meaningful human connection that happens when people come together," so employees will still "connect in person every quarter for about a week at a time." Some workers will also still have to come into the office because it's necessary for their jobs, the company said.

Airbnb was the latest company to offer a permanent remote work option after Twitter previously did so. In 2020, Twitter human resources chief Jennifer Christie told The Washington Post, "The future of work is offering employees more optionality."