APPLE has called on employees to get back into the office at least three days a week as the tech giant continues to defy work from home trends that dominate Silicon Valley.

In a memo sent to staff this week, Apple chief executive Tim Cook told all employees that work at the company's HQ and nearby offices that they need to come into the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Staff will then have another day in the working week that they are required to attend the offices, which will be determined by Apple team managers, the memo seen by the Financial Times said.

It is understood that this new "pilot" system will begin on 5 September and the rule will vary depending on location of the office.

"We are excited to move forward with the pilot and believe that this revised framework will enhance our ability to work flexibly, while preserving the in-person collaboration that is so essential to our culture," Cook said. "We also know that we still have a lot to learn. And we are committed to listening, adapting and growing together in the weeks and months ahead."

Cook said that "in-person collaboration" was "essential to our culture".

The policy arguably places the nearly three trillion dollar firm as the outlier of its Big Tech cousins. The likes of Google parent firm Alphabet and Facebook owner Meta both have flexible arrangement for workers, with Mark Zuckerberg actively encouraging work from home.

E-commerce titan Amazon told its employees that it is up to team leaders to decide what the remote work policy should be, allowing for flexibility across the organisations.

Meanwhile, City law firms like Freshfields have told workers this week that they want them back three days a week.

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