Microshifting, or working short, non-linear blocks instead of one continuous, eight-hour-long stretch, is on most workers’ to-do lists.

According to a State of Hybrid Work report released by video conferencing tech company Owl Labs, 65% of workers expressed interest in microshifting instead of the traditional 9-to-5 work schedule. The majority of workers said microshifting lets them keep a full-time income while reclaiming control over when, where, and how they work, especially around caregiving, health, and personal energy peaks.

Microshifting work blocks are often 45 to 90 minutes long, with sizable breaks in between. A typical day might include early-morning deep work, a gap for school drop-off or errands, mid-morning focus time, a long midday break and an evening work block. 

“Microshifting appeals to employees not just as a scheduling preference, but as a way to reclaim control over their increasingly fragmented work lives,” Owl Labs CEO Frank Weishaupt told CNBC Make It earlier this week. “Employees are improvising solutions to reconcile the demands of their jobs with the realities of their lives.”

According to Owl Labs’ report, managers are more than three times as likely to microshift their workdays compared to subordinates. Employees indicated that they would give up 9% of their annual salary in exchange for flexible working hours. 

Workers want microshifting because it offers a better work-life balance, so parents and caregivers can plan work around medical appointments, school runs or care tasks, then make up time early or late in the day. 

They can also schedule demanding tasks for when they are naturally most focused, and use low-energy periods for rest or personal responsibilities instead of forcing productivity. Employers evaluate many microshifters, especially self-employed or knowledge workers, based on results rather than strict hours, making non-linear schedules practical.

When it comes to downsides, microshifting means a chance of increased burnout if “flexibility” really means an expectation to always be on and available. 

However, workers benefit from the flexibility it offers. Caregivers are three times more likely to microshift than non-caregivers, using shifting blocks to juggle care responsibilities without losing employment. Remote and hybrid workers also find it easier to break up their days when compared to workers in tightly controlled on-site roles. 

Microshifting isn’t a new phenomenon. Doug Gregory, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, tells CNBC Make It that he has been doing it for decades as a remote worker in sales. 

“If I need to take an hour off during the day to go do something with the grandkid or to go see a doctor or whatever, it’s okay, I make up for it in the evening, I make up for it early in the morning,” he says. “It really comes back to what am I responsible for getting done, how do I do it.”

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