Apple has told its employees they must come in to the office for at least three days a week from next month, in an effort to restore "in-person collaboration". In a memo to all employees, Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, said the policy would require all staff to return to the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as a third day that would vary team by team. "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 in the memo. The official plan, emphasised as just a pilot in Cook's letter, is already a step back from an earlier proposal for all employees to come in on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday every week. The shift to a flexible day in addition to the two midweek days will allow some employees to continue to have four unbroken days at home each week.

We've reached an inflection point. As the global response to COVID-19 evolves, communities around the world have moved from an era of "remote everything" into a more hybrid model of work, learning, and life. And as we all scramble to keep up, the future of work and education is being shaped before our eyes. At Microsoft, we've spent the last few months learning from our customers and studying how they use our tools. We've also worked with experts across virtual reality, AI, and productivity research to help understand the future of work.