"The 9-to-5 workday is slowly crumbling. In today's remote and hybrid era, more employees are breaking free from that rigid structure so they can design their days around their lives instead of the other way around. They're logging on at 6 a.m. to knock out emails, stepping away for a midday workout or school pickup, then returning to finish a project after dinner. This workplace trend is called microshifting, and it reveals a powerful shift."
"The new frontier of flexibility isn't where people work, but when. According to Owl Labs' 2025 State of Hybrid Work Report, 65% of office workers want more schedule flexibility. A separate survey, Deputy's The Big Shift: U.S. 2025, shows microshifting is also gaining traction in hospitality and service industries, where Gen Z workers are leveraging shorter shifts to balance caregiving, education and multiple jobs."
"The 9-to-5 workday is a relic of the Industrial Revolution, designed for factory floors whose productivity was measured by hours clocked and widgets produced. But knowledge work doesn't operate on an assembly line. Despite this, many companies are doubling down on return-to-office (RTO) mandates. Owl Labs reports that 63% of employees are now in the office full-time, and among hybrid workers, in-office days are climbing."
Microshifting breaks the traditional 9-to-5 into short, flexible work segments that let employees design days around life demands. Employees log on early, step away for workouts or school pickups, then finish tasks later. Sixty-five percent of office workers want more schedule flexibility, and Gen Z in hospitality and service sectors use shorter shifts to balance caregiving, education and multiple jobs. Many companies are increasing return-to-office mandates: 63% of employees are now in the office full-time, and hybrid in-office days are rising. Leaders who prioritize trust over activity tracking can retain talent as time-based models erode.
Read at Forbes
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