Adam Schwab: Aussie CEO says working from home is the ‘worst thing ever'
Adam Schwab, Luxury Escapes chief executive, said his workers are expected to be in office for the entire five day working week.
He told the Herald Sun that working from home is 'the worst thing ever', and that it is hard to 'progress your career if you can't learn from other people'.
Mr Schwab went on to claim that work promotions are often based on 'who's in your proximity'.
'It's hard to progress your career if you can't learn from other people. If people can't see you. Unfortunately, getting promoted is often based on just who's in your proximity,' he said.
He says flexible working arrangements can be available when needed, but that employees must always provide a reason.
'Obviously, if someone has a real need we'll work around that.'
Luxury Escapes was founded in 2013 by both Mr Schwab and his friend from school, Jeremy Sane.
The company has grown from a small Australian based team, to a now global company with more than 600 employees.
Mr Schwab said Luxury Escapes' employee retention rate is very high, with less than 10 per cent leaving the company each year.
The CEO said this is a good number and that percentage of people leaving represents those who get a different job or are retiring.
He said he believes in collaboration, and told employees that would rather work from home to instead find another job, claiming Luxury Escapes is 'not for (them)'.
Luxury Escapes now has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, London, Barcelona and Singapore.
Mr Schwab began his professional career as a lawyer.
'I thought I really wanted to be a lawyer. And then you do it and you realise it's really not good. It's pretty boring. It's really long hours. I was an okay lawyer … but (there were) people who were really, really good lawyers. I wasn't ever going to be that.'
Both Mr Schawb and Mr Sane decided to leave their corporate jobs behind and started a short term accommodation business in Melbourne.
They then created Luxury Escapes after deciding to work in the travel business, and the company now has more than eight million members.
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