May 5th: A company update from Airbnb

[Airbnb]

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the travel industry, and today we shared the difficult news that we’re reducing the size of the Airbnb workforce. This week we’re focused on taking care of our employees, and we’d like to ask for your understanding and patience as we spend time supporting them. Here’s what you can expect in the next week:

• We’ll continue to respond on our social channels, in the Community Center, and through our community support team
• We will reach out to partner with a small group of community leaders from around the world to gather feedback and common questions 
• Brian Chesky, our CEO, will hold a live Host Update on May 13 to answer top questions and address what matters to you most

Brian shared this note with the team today, which is a summary of what’s happening. 

We remain committed to supporting you and your guests and to rebuilding our businesses together. We’ll be in touch again soon.

[Helen350]

Yeah! - They're going back to their roots, back to basics, 'everyday people who host their homes'

[Anonymous]

@Helen350   It sounds like you have scored some amazing hallucinogens, could you please send some of that down to your fellow hosts in Berlin?

[Helen350]

Only repeating BC's own words in the link with the OP @Anonymous .... Mind you, .......

[Anonymous]

@Helen350  They are a fascinating artifact of Millennial hubris, aren't they?

But I belong to this generation too, and all I can do is Facepalm.

[Rebecca181]

Oh! You mean we have been upgraded from 'chopped liver' to something a tad more appealing? Does this mean home-sharing hosts will have access to all of the 'special' benefits available to commercial operations listing on Airbnb?

[Sarah977]

@Rebecca181  Nice to see you surface again. My Polish Jewish grandma made delicious and very appealing chopped liver. I'd say we're regarded more like hot dogs, which my ex used to refer to as "lips and a**holes".

[Rebecca181]

@Sarah977  I stand corrected! I was drawn back in when I learned of Susan's unceremonious ousting from the CC. I'm also fascinated to find that suddenly home-sharing hosts are being viewed as a valued commodity during these pandemic-driven times. I barely even know what to think! I do hope business resumes for struggling hosts and that their livelihoods are soon restored.

[Rebecca181]

@Helen350   It's kind of like when Dorothy woke up and found herself in her bedroom in Kansas. "Oh, Auntie Em, was 'Plus', 'Experiences', 'Luxe', and 'Infinity' all just a strange and crazy dream?"

[Ria16]

I’m truely sorry for anyone losing their job or income. The redundancy package however looks very fair . 

[Stephanie]

Thank you for your kind words @Ria16 and @Yadira22 . We're all very shaken by this development and we will share your compassion with our effected colleagues. 

We may take some time to come back to you but if you do have any questions about this at all please do let us know. 

Thanks,

Stephanie

[Jeanne207]

What redundancy package?? And where do you access it because I cannot find anything on this site to help me in the situation I have a $6000 mortgage I pay every month and I have been depending on Airbnb for that but they send me a check of $88 for a booking that cancelled and that supposed to be my help????

[Sarah977]

This has nothing to do with host payouts, @Jeanne207,. The discussion here is about the 1900 employees of the company that Airbnb laid off.

[Sarah977]

@Helen350  Well, that would be nice, but you are far more trusting of Airbnb's public statements than I am. It remains to be seen how this will all shake down. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they fold entirely, it's hard to accurately predict anything right now.

[Anonymous]

@Airbnb  This week you are focused on taking care of your employees, by putting 1900 of them out of work during the biggest economic calamity of their lifetimes. Weeks after accepting $1 billion in capital investment as your executives remain among the wealthiest Americans who might regard Britney Spears as a maternal figure.

I'm so sorry for your loss, could you give me a Listening Session and explain how I might be able to send you a Kindness Card?