NEW YORK CITY, New York: A growing number of workers are moving away from traditional nine-to-five schedules in favour of "microshifting," a flexible approach that breaks the workday into shorter, focused bursts.

For Jen Meegan, a head writer and cofounder of a creative services agency, the day starts early. Before her household fully wakes up, she spends an hour reviewing emails and refining ideas, then pauses for errands or family responsibilities before returning to work in concentrated stretches throughout the day.

Microshifting allows employees to weave work around personal commitments, rather than structuring their lives around fixed office hours. The model emphasises output over time spent at a desk, with workers tackling tasks in intervals and taking breaks in between.

"Sometimes the break's when most of the work will get done in your head, because you're not sitting in front of a laptop just staring at a screen going, ‘I can't come up with anything,'" Meegan said.

The approach has gained traction as remote and hybrid work arrangements reshape expectations. After the pandemic, many workers became accustomed to greater flexibility, even as some employers push for a return to the office.

"As more managers and more organizations get better adept at giving a little bit of autonomy, this is becoming not only a little more popular, but it also gives employees the motivation and almost the license to ask for this," said Kevin Rockmann, a professor of management at George Mason University.

Supporters argue that breaking work into intervals can boost productivity and creativity. Stepping away from tasks, whether to take a walk, run errands, or attend to family needs, can help people return refreshed.

"From a creativity standpoint, it's good to take breaks," Rockmann said. "When you stop thinking about a task, that's when your best ideas come to you."

Some managers have embraced the model. When Shellie Garrett led a team handling rental assistance claims during the pandemic, she allowed employees to set their own schedules as long as they remained available for urgent issues and met performance expectations.

"Everybody needed to maintain availability for emergency questions or issues. But I let people determine what worked best for them productivity-wise," Garrett said. "If productivity was lapsing, we had to figure out different solutions. But overall, I feel like giving that autonomy led to better production and happier employees."

For workers, the flexibility can improve personal relationships and daily life. Amanda Elyse, a law professor and policy lead, said it allows her to share meals with her partner and spend time with her dogs during the day.

"There are just so many little things in the day that, when you're in control of your schedule, you can take that time to do," Elyse said.

However, experts warn that the approach can strain workplace collaboration. Teams often rely on overlapping hours for communication and coordination, which can be harder to maintain when schedules diverge.

Effective teams depend on working together, but "the whole idea of microshifting is taking care of yourself," Rockmann said. "It's not that taking care of yourself is bad. It emphasizes the individual, not the relationships."

Employers also face challenges in ensuring accountability. Pranav Dalal, CEO of a remote staffing firm, said some employees already adopt microshifting informally, especially in senior roles where results are measured by performance.

"It's happening without a policy and without me saying it, and those are in positions where they're more managerial positions," he said. "I don't really question it because I know that people are getting their work done at those levels."

But flexibility has limits. Dalal said he dismissed an employee who repeatedly missed in-person commitments due to personal errands.

"If someone really abuses that, it becomes destructive to the team because then resentment builds," he said. "As an employer, it definitely is a big shift for companies. And the shift is, essentially, can you deliver the same quality service, reliably, when there's microshifting happening?"

For some, the model also supports health needs. Isabelle "Izzy" Young, a political organiser, said flexible scheduling helps her manage a chronic illness and autism by adjusting her workday based on her energy levels.

"I am very lucky to have a principal who is a compassionate person," Young said. "He's acutely aware that life happens, and you can be incredibly productive and chronically ill."

Still, the boundaries between work and personal time can blur. "The job never ends, so you're never really off the clock," Young said.

For Garrett, the ability to work in shorter blocks made a significant difference in managing chronic health conditions.

"Microshifting was honestly a godsend," she said. "I don't know if I could have done this job without being able to do that."

As the trend grows, workers seeking such flexibility are being encouraged to make a clear case to employers.

"You have to go into the interview and sell it," Garrett said. "You have to go in and say, ‘I'm willing to do whatever schedule and put my best foot forward, but if you want me to be most productive or most creative, this is how I work best, if this is something you're willing to work with.'"