Airbnb allows employees to live and work from anywhere

Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. embrace / ɛmˈbreɪs / (v.) – to accept or support something
    Example:

    A lot of customers are embracing the company’s new environmental cause.


  2. complexity / kəmˈplɛk sɪ ti / (n.) – the state of being difficult
    Example:

    It took me more than 30 minutes to solve the math problem because of its complexity.


  3. predominant / prɪˈdɒm ə nənt / (adj.) – describing something important, common, or noticeable
    Example:

    Shintoism is the predominant religion in Japan.


  4. remotely / rɪˈmoʊt li / (adv.) – in a manner that is far or from a distance
    Example:

    I enjoy working remotely because I can travel at the same time.


  5. hybrid / ˈhaɪ brɪd / (adj.) – describing something that is a combination of two things
    Example:

    Hybrid cars run on both electricity and gasoline.


Article

Read the text below.

Airbnb will allow its employees to live and work almost anywhere around the world, fully embracing a remote work policy to attract staff and ensure flexibility.


The San Francisco short-term-stay company said late Thursday that under the new policy, employees can work from the office, home or during their travels to 170 countries.


Staff will still have to meet in person for regular team meetings and events, CEO Brian Chesky said in a message to employees. Salaries won’t change if employees decide to move.


Employees can spend up to three months working in each country they visit every year but they will still need a permanent address for tax and payroll reasons, which involves a “mountain of complexities,” but Chesky said the company is working on an open-source solution.


The new policy will put the company in a better position to hire and retain the best people by not “limiting the talent pool to a commuting radius around our offices,” Chesky said. Remote work and flexibility “will become the predominant way that we all work 10 years from now,” he said.


Millions of people switched to working remotely during the pandemic to limit potential exposure to COVID-19. Companies are beginning to ask those workers to come back to the office, at least on a hybrid basis, including other tech companies such as Facebook parent Meta and Microsoft.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Do you think a remote work policy is the best way to attract staff and ensure flexibility? How else do you think the company can achieve these (ex. offer a high salary, allow a flexible schedule)? Discuss.
  • Remote work can involve a “mountain of complexities,” such as the need for a permanent address. If you were an Airbnb employee, would you choose to work in another country despite the said disadvantage? Why or why not? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • According to Chesky, remote work will become the predominant way that we all work 10 years from now. What do you think are the pros and cons of this setup (ex. pro: lower expenses, con: lower productivity)? Discuss.
  • Do you think remote work will continue for a long time? Why or why not? Discuss.