From September, staff working for Airbnb will be allowed to live and work in more than 170 countries for up to 90 days a year in each location.
While tech giants are gradually returning to the office, Airbnb has said it will allow all its staff to work from anywhere they choose.
The CEO of the online accommodation rental platform, Brian Chesky, sent out a company-wide email on 28 April with the news. The memo was also published on Airbnb’s blog.
Chesky detailed the company’s new remote working policy and said employees will be able to work from anywhere, including their home or the office.
They can also relocate anywhere in the country they are working in and their compensation will not change.
There will be the flexibility to work and travel. Employees will have to have a permanent address for tax and payroll purposes, however they can live and work in more than 170 countries for up to 90 days a year in each location, starting in September.
Permanent international moves are “much more complex”, Chesky said, and so won’t be supported this year.
He also reassured those who may still want in-person contact with their colleagues that there will be regular meet-ups and work will still happen “in a highly coordinated way”.
The company’s standard operating schedule centred around two product releases per year will not change, and social events and breaks for workers will have to be planned around these releases in May and November. Airbnb will also continue to operate on Pacific Standard Time for its US employees.
Chesky signed off the message saying he was proud of his employees and how they had handled the disruption to their working lives caused by the pandemic.
“I’ve always believed that you design the culture you want, or it will be designed for you,” he wrote. “I’m excited about this new design and giving you the flexibility to live and work anywhere. I think it will unlock some amazing creativity and innovation—and make working here really fun.”
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