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

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.
"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."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Is the EU funding Russia more than Ukraine?
The Explainer EU remains largest importer of Russian fossil fuels despite sanctions aimed at crippling Kremlin's war effort
-
Posh crisps: an 'elite' tier of snacking
The Week Recommends Hand-cooked and dusted in 'decadent' flavours, the humble potato chip is being elevated to new levels
-
Crossword: June 2, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Amazon launches 1st Kuiper internet satellites
Speed Read The battle of billionaires continues in space
-
Test flight of orbital rocket from Europe explodes
Speed Read Isar Aerospace conducted the first test flight of the Spectrum orbital rocket, which crashed after takeoff
-
Apple pledges $500B in US spending over 4 years
Speed Read This is a win for Trump, who has pushed to move manufacturing back to the US
-
Microsoft unveils quantum computing breakthrough
Speed Read Researchers say this advance could lead to faster and more powerful computers
-
TikTok's fate uncertain as weekend deadline looms
Speed Read The popular app is set to be banned in the U.S. starting Sunday
-
Appeals court kills FCC net neutrality rule
Speed Read A U.S. appeals court blocked Biden's effort to restore net-neutrality rules
-
Judge rejects Elon Musk's $56B pay package again
Speed Read Judge Kathaleen McCormick upheld her rejection of the Tesla CEO's unprecedented compensation deal
-
DOJ seeks breakup of Google, Chrome
Speed Read The Justice Department aims to force Google to sell off Chrome and make other changes to rectify its illegal search monopoly