What Is Microshifting? This New Workplace Trend Might Be the Key to Avoiding Burnout
What You Can Learn From the Latest Attempt by Gen Z to Escape the 9-5 Grind
Workplace trends come and go, with certain trends offering a little more benefits than others — but microshifting might be worth considering if you’ve been longing to break out of the 9-to-5 grind without giving up the stability of full-time employment.
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What is Microshifting?
Microshifting has become a buzzword, particularly among Gen Z employees. The new workplace trend essentially breaks down the workday into shorter, non-linear blocks of time that better align with your own productivity, rather than sticking within the rigid 9-to-5 structure, and is particularly popular for full-time employees who work remotely.
“People who work several part-time jobs might already be working in microshifts, but it’s possible for full-time employees to try out this style of working too,” explains Peter Duris, CEO and Founder of AI-based career tool Kickresume.
“Microshifting is a natural evolution of modern flexible working, especially in fields like IT, where the main thing is the result, not the number of hours spent at the laptop,” adds Mariana Cherepanyn, Head of Recruitment at Euristiq.
What Are the Benefits of Microshifting?
The benefits of microshifting aren’t just taking a mid-workday nap or having the excuse to slack off during the workday. If you’re using the short bursts of work properly, working in shorter, focused chunks can actually help foster a better work/life balance, even if you’re working the same number of hours in the day.
Better for Sustaining Focus
It’s fair to say that even if you’re the hardest-working employee in your office, you’re likely not going to be as productive and laser-focused at the end of the eight-hour workday as you are in the morning. Taking small breaks throughout the day can help with sustaining better focus while you’re working. “We observe that breaking up the workday into a few smaller chunks makes it easier for the experts to sustain focus and balance between professional and personal affairs,” explains Cherepanyn.
Decreases Emotional Exhaustion From Full-Time Work
“This method decreases emotional exhaustion and provides a sense of having control over one's own schedule,” adds Cherepanyn, “which is particularly important to individuals engaged in creative or analytical work.”
More Flexibility for Families
Duris pointed out that microshifting can also be beneficial for busy families. “If you’re a parent or have caregiving responsibilities, microshifting can mean being available for things like picking your children up from school,” he explains.
Easier to Manage Appointments
“Microshifts also make it easier to have appointments in the middle of the day,” says Duris. “While many employers are fine with their staff seeing the doctor during the working day, what about a haircut or an appointment with a mortgage advisor? When you work shorter, irregular shifts, you have more time during the day to take care of everything else.”
What to Consider When Microshifting
When working in microshifts, whether this is your day-to-day routine or something you do occasionally to fit in around other commitments, there are a few things to consider:
- Think about colleague collaboration: According to Duris, if you’re off work for a couple of hours when your colleagues are working straight through, it’s important to consider whether or not there is anything they might need from you before you return and anticipate providing that before you end your microshift.
- Keep your phone on: “It might help to be clear with the team about what you’ll do before you stop your microshift, and to keep your phone on in case they need to reach you with a quick, urgent question,” says Duris. “Of course, your coworkers should be aware that you are not technically at work during this time.”
- Prioritize rest: If you’re working more than one part-time job (for instance, a short shift in the morning followed by another shift later on in the evening), Duris points out that you should make sure that you’re getting enough rest. “Sometimes a short break in between shifts does not feel like enough time to recharge, especially if your evening shift is followed by a morning shift the following day,” he points out.
How to Talk to Your Boss About Microshifting
“If an employee wants to switch to microshifting, it is worth starting with an open conversation with their manager — explaining how this format will increase efficiency and giving examples from their own experience or research,” says Cherepanyn.
Cherepanyn added that it is important to immediately agree on clear time frames for availability and transparent communication rules so that the team remains aligned. “It is useful for managers to focus not on hours, but on task performance indicators, which builds trust and increases employee autonomy,” explains Cherepanyn.
“In our practice, we have noticed that teams that use microshifting demonstrate more stable productivity and better engagement in the long term,” she adds. “In fact, this is another step towards a mature culture of trust and flexibility, which increases loyalty and the company's attractiveness in the labor market.”
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