Apple has told its employees that they must return to the office starting September 5 for at least three days a week, with CEO Tim Cook saying that the move would retain the "face-to-face collaboration that is so essential to our culture."

In a statement, Tim Cook told employees that they are required to show up at the office every Tuesday and Thursday, with the third day being at the discretion of the team leaders.

Apple employees in different parts of the world will return with a different schedule, depending on local circumstances, Cook said.

"We are excited to move forward with the pilot project and believe that this revised framework will improve our ability to work flexibly while preserving the face-to-face collaboration so essential to our culture," he said.

This is not the first time Apple has announced a return to office order. In June 2021, it said it projected a three-day-a-week return in September of that year, only to backtrack due to the increase in covid-19 cases. Some employees were later told to be in the offices for one or two days a week.

The flawed comeback for Apple reflects the difficulty it and other large Silicon Valley groups have had in deciding on the role of the post-coronavirus pandemic in the office. Companies have faced pressure from many employees to preserve the remote working conditions suddenly imposed on them - or risk losing crucial talent.