Good or bad: Do you work in multiple intervals at home mostly?

  
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Admit that you enjoy being able to arrange your working hours on the days you work from home: That you can take the breaks you need - to bring your children to school, put the laundry away, go for a run, yoga class, go shopping, etc.

For example, you get up at six, work for two hours, then bring your child to kindergarten, then log on to the computer for a few more hours, take a lunch break, work for a few more hours in the afternoon, and then finish the day's work schedule with a few hours in the evening, when the child is in bed.

Instead of working from 9 to 5 in the office, most hybrid office workers enjoy the freedom and flexibility to break up their workday at home into periods and intervals, following their needs and inspiration.

Pros & cons

"Microshifting allows office workers to complete their work tasks when they are most engaged and productive. Instead of sitting at a desk from 9 to 5, the workday is broken up into short, intense, and efficient intervals.

Working in intervals can be a good way for home office workers to balance all their personal tasks at home with their professional work duties.                  Photos: iStock

"But problems can arise along the way if you allow undefined working days to flow out and slowly turn into increasingly longer working hours. Suddenly, you end up spending a few hours on the computer on the weekends.

Gradually, you might run the risk that your employer may even expect you to be available most of the day and night, making you doubt when you actually have or can take time off," other experts are warning.

Saving wast time

According to Owl Labs' State of Hybrid Work 2025 survey, nearly 65% of 2,000 office workers expressed interest in microshifting, i.e. dividing the workday into shorter, non-linear blocks to prioritize other personal activities.

Building on the findings, one quarter of respondents reported having no official end to their workday, and some had no set start time. Additionally, 59% scheduled personal appointments and errands during work hours.

Microshifting supports office employees working from home, prioritising their work efforts to succeed when their concentration and energy are strongest, thus saving the employer from the wasted time that occurs when fatigue sets in.

Proponents say that microshifting prioritises their work effort to succeed when concentration and energy are strongest, saving employers time wasted late in the day when fatigue sets in.

Short, intense work blocks feel like a way to utilise concentration-demanding work while still allowing time for exercise, school commutes, or caregiving responsibilities that rarely fit into a traditional workday.

Beware

On the other hand, critics of the microshifting trend warn that undefined workdays could gradually lead to longer working hours. Without clear boundaries, your work hours might easily spread into evenings and weekends.

"Individual schedules among office workers can also make it difficult to find common meeting times. Colleagues may find it difficult to collaborate in real time, make timely decisions and act quickly," sceptics are objecting.

You must have your agreements with your boss completely in order before starting to microshifting from home - this is essential.

"By fragmenting and dividing your workday into small intervals, you risk losing flow and immersing yourself in depth. Handling constantly interrupted tasks, your work might start to feel incomplete or in between.

At the same time, employers and managers might find it difficult to track the visibility and results of the interval-working employee, thereby undermining trust. It is therefore essential that you have your agreements with your boss completely in place and in order before you start microshifting."  ● 

Read more:
Fortune.com: Microshifting - an extreme form of hybrid working is on the rise
Uctoday.com: Microshifting- what you need to know about the trend
Allwork.space:  Microshifting will redefine work-life balance in 2026
Huffpost.com: A controversial work trend that came out of Covid