Hold on to your sweatpants… Offices are becoming optional. Airbnb has reversed its plans to return to offices in September, telling workers they can WFH forever — without pay cuts. It’s a sharp reversal: Airbnb laid off a quarter of its workers during lockdowns as travel collapsed. But bleisure (long trips that blend business and leisure) helped business rebound, and now Airbnb wants its 6K+ workers to join in:
Return-to-office roulette… Pajama-wearing workers have gotten so comfortable WFH that their employers are struggling to get them to return: half of companies expect workers back in the office five days a week, but 90%+ of WFH warriors want to stay remote. To keep them happy, companies have adopted several return-to-office strategies.
Work-from-anywhere is the new kombucha on tap… a popular perk among workers and an important hiring strategy for flexible employers. The option to work from St. Barts for full pay could inspire an applicant to work for Airbnb instead of Apple — a big deal in today’s tight labor market. Airbnb’s CEO, Brian Chesky, said he expects other companies to go remote so that they don’t “limit their talent pool.”