Why 'Microshifting' Is The Future Of Work Beyond 9-5 Office Shifts And WFH

Does your office mandate you to work on an 8-9-hour shift? Has HR sent out emails making work from the office compulsory? Well! It's time for you to introduce your employers to microshifting - a new term in the corporate world that is making waves because it offers more flexibility than work-from-home and hybrid models.

Microshifting is the new way for the modern workforce to strike the work-life balance they have been after for years. And employers should note that it does not affect productivity in any way, but it surely asks micro managers to back off. Your employee is requesting you not to hover over them to complete the task. If you have a set deadline, the work will be completed, just not in the working hours set by HR.

Employees are pushing against the 9-to-5 workday schedule. Photo: Freepik

Pitfalls Of The 9-To-5 Work Schedule

Working for 9 hours for 5 days a week is no longer feasible, especially after the pandemic, when most employees have realised that people can efficiently work from home and many companies have benefited from this model. After tasting this luxury, employers are seeking new ways to arrange work schedules according to their lives. This 9-to-5 model was okay and might work for factories where they need workers to oversee the machinery in shifts.

It is no longer about living your life according to work timings, but about how to be more productive and use your knowledge to reduce the time and improve efficiency. According to Owl Labs' 2025 State of Hybrid Work Report, about 63% of employees are now going to the office full-time. While companies have mandated it, the report suggests that people are pushing back because they want more flexibility.

This model is no longer viable for knowledge workers, especially those who just need a high-speed internet connection and a laptop (or desktop). They are asking not to be tied around the clock and micromanaged.

Microshifting is the future of work as it allows more flexibility to employees. Photo: Freepik

What Is Microshifting?

This new trending term in the corporate world is about deciding when you want to work. Microshifting refers to dividing your shift into blocks rather than sitting in front of the laptop for an 8 or 9-hour stretch.

Let's say you are a working parent. You can work before your kid wakes up, take a break until they are at school, resume the work again, take a break for lunch and evening activities, and resume work at night. Microshifting is all about picking time slabs when you are or can be most productive in a day and delivering work on time.

It surely means that an employee might work for just 7 hours in a day or maybe 9-10 hours, depending on how many tasks are on their to-do list. But microshiting offers people a lot more flexibility than the 9-to-5. The Owl Labs' 2025 State of Hybrid Work Report says that 65% office workers want a flexible schedule rather than being glued to their chairs from sunrise to sunset.