Work From Anywhere: How Airbnb & Guests are Approaching Remote Working

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Airbnb closed our offices to protect the health and safety of our employees around the world. Now, we are extending the option for our employees to work remotely through the end of August 2021, even if their home office has reopened. 

Employee safety remains our focus, and while we don’t know when the pandemic will end, we want to provide our employees with flexibility and choice to make decisions about the next year. We are offering this remote working extension to give employees the ability to plan further ahead and make the choices they need around school calendars, being closer to family, caring for vulnerable family members, and other personal decisions. We are fortunate that our employees are able to perform their jobs from home, and we are supporting them as they do so:  

• Employees have the option to temporarily relocate to states and countries where we are set up to support them. 
• We are providing a USD$300 stipend for home office equipment, with an additional USD$200 to cover ergonomic equipment. 
• Employees who need flexibility due to inability to work due to COVID-19 specific reasons (such as caring for a family member due to illness or closure of a care facility) can coordinate with their manager on a flexible work arrangement.
• Employees continue to receive a quarterly USD$500 credit to use on Airbnb, which can be used to book accommodations for temporary relocations.

The health and safety of our employees remains our priority and we will reopen our offices when it is appropriate and safe to do so based on company guidelines as well as relevant government restrictions.

Remote working trends

As the pandemic persists, more workers and companies are embracing remote working as semi-permanent, or even permanent. One in three remote workers said they would move to a new city or state if remote working continued, according to a recent New York Times and Morning Consult survey.

While travellers have long booked with Airbnb to immerse themselves in new communities and explore new cultures on vacation, Airbnb is now a longer-term option for more guests who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work from anywhere. 

Whether it’s temporarily relocating to be closer to family or taking the opportunity to explore a new community, Airbnb data shows guests are increasingly using our platform to support remote working and temporary relocations. Working from home is becoming working from any home.