The company told employees on Thursday that they can work remotely permanently and relocate anywhere in the country where they currently work. It won’t have a negative impact on compensation, the company said, meaning it won’t adjust salaries downward if an employee chooses to move to a city with a higher cost of living. low.
In a lengthy email to staff members Thursday, CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky outlined his new policies and expectations. He noted that ongoing flexibility will allow the company “to hire and retain the best people in the world”, rather than just those within a “commuting radius around our offices”. Airbnb said it has 6,000 employees worldwide, including more than 3,000 in the United States.
Chesky told staff members to consult with managers before moving about expectations, and added that given the complexity of international moves, “we will not be able to support them this year.” He also noted “a small number of roles will need to be in the office or in a specific location to fulfill their primary job responsibilities.”
“More people will start living abroad, others will travel all summer, and some will even give up their leases and become digital nomads,” he said, calling it “the decentralization of life “.
Now Chesky is officially releasing staff members to do just that. He encouraged those who want to take advantage of long stays in other countries to do so.
“From September you can live and work in over 170 countries for up to 90 days a year in each location,” he wrote. “Everyone will always need a permanent address for tax and payroll purposes, but we’re happy to give you that level of flexibility. Most businesses don’t because of the mountain of complexities with taxes. , payroll, and time zone availability, but hopefully we can open up a solution so other companies can provide that flexibility as well.”
Chesky added that staff members are responsible for sorting work visas. They should also expect more in-person gatherings next year at a rate of roughly “every quarter for about a week at a time.” In the United States, the company will largely operate on Pacific Standard Time.
“Flexibility only works when you trust your team members,” Chesky said. “You have shown how much you can accomplish remotely. Over the past two years, we have weathered the pandemic, rebuilt the business from the ground up, gone public, improved our entire service, and recorded record revenues, while working remotely.”
