The traditional 9-to-5 is so rare that all it helps people do is be able to make videos about their 'My 5-9' after '9-5' on social media. The professional landscape has evolved not only in terms of opportunities but also in structure. With increasing workload across profiles, the demand for flexible working hours has increased significantly over the past few years.

This emerging trend is what is being termed as 'microshifting.' This allows workers to break their day into short flexible blocks signalling the next phase in the future of work. Essentially, it allows people to sort work into their lives and not lives into work. They can begin early and clear email, take mid-day breaks for personal tasks and log back in to complete projects post-dinner.

How do you define microshifting?


Microshifting is understood as the practice of dividing a standard workday into small, flexible blocks based on a person's productivity peaks or personal needs, rather than sticking to an eight-hour shift.

This means flexible logging times and working through short bursts in the day depending on when the employees feel most productive, reported Forbes. You can work from 7-9 am, take a break to work out and help your family out, return to work for a few hours in the afternoon and then log back on post best time to wrap the day up.

Microshifting on the rise


As per an Owl Labs' 2025 State of Hybrid Work Report, 65% office workers want more schedule flexibility. Now, as per Deputy's The Big Shift: US 2025, microshifting is gaining popularity in service industries, specifically among Gen Z employees, who are embracing shorter shifts to balance caregiving, education or multiple jobs, said a Forbes report.

The 9-5 model which was a standard for most industries for years, has failed as it no longer serves the modern workforce who want to explore as much outside work as while at it.

However, there still remain companies that are sticklers for traditions. This year, several global tech companies like Microsoft, Infosys and Google have made it compulsory for employees to work from the office for a certain number of days a week.

However, employees are so keen on flexibility that they are willing to compromise their compensation for it. The Owl Labs report also found that workers are willing to sacrifice 9% of their annual salary for flexible working hours and 8% of their pay for a 4-day work week.

What matters is the outcomes and not the time a person works. Prioritising trust over tracking or risk losing their top talent must be taken into consideration as flexibility in work has become a factor as valuable as compensation itself, the report by Forbes said.

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