“Microturnos” (microshifting, in the original English)a more radical version of hybrid work that slices the day into short, non-continuous blocks of work, is quickly going from a niche experiment to a hot topic of debate in 2026. Proponents say this ultra-flexible standard helps professionals juggle childcare, side work and self-care with demanding office roles, while critics warn it could reinforce an “always on” culture under another name.
Microshifts describe a workday divided into several short, flexible “spikes” of focused effort, usually between 45 and 90 minutes, interspersed with periods of personal time, family tasks, or rest. Instead of working a continuous shift from 9 am to 5 pm, a professional can start work at dawn, leave to take the children to school or take a gym class and return for another block in the late morning, completing tasks at night.
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The term was popularized by video conferencing company Owl Labs, which defines microshifts as working “in short, non-linear blocks based on personal energy, responsibilities, or productivity standards.”
Emerged during the pandemic, when school closures and lockdowns disrupted traditional schedules, the model began to be adopted by parents, global teams and gig economy workers trying to fit paid work into complex routines.
Gustas Germanavicius, a Lithuanian ironman athlete and CEO of InRento, described his microshift approach to Fortune in November 2025, comparing it to both physical training and his time studying with Shaolin monks in China.
“Basically, I work on marathons and sprints,” he said. “I work two months, 24/7, then I take two weeks off. Those two weeks don’t mean I go completely offline, but I try to relax and slow down.”
Masha Bucher, founder of Day One Ventures, an early investor in 12 unicorns and with more than 30 company stake sales, told Fortune that people close to her literally “work seven days a week, from 6 or 7 in the morning, with a sports break, until midnight or 1 or 2 in the morning.”
For the Silicon Valley circuit in which he operates, work is “flexible… I don’t remember when I took a vacation or what a vacation is. I think when you do something you love, you don’t feel like you need a vacation.”
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From hybrid to radical flexibility
The rise of microshifts marks an intensification of previous forms of hybrid work, which focused primarily on where people worked rather than when.
In many companies, employees are still required to report to the office several days a week, but are now increasingly negotiating the right to spread these hours over an extended day or even into the evening.
Jones Lang LaSalle conducted a global survey of its commercial real estate business and found that someone who is “nonconformist” about traditional work is “empowered” by their special value to the company.
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Employer data suggests that the appetite for this extreme flexibility is strong. A survey by Owl Labs showed that around 65% of workers are interested in microshifts, with a particularly high prevalence among managers, caregivers and professionals with side jobs.
Younger workers, particularly Gen Z, are adopting these non-linear schedules to accommodate extra work in the gig economy, with more than 25% reporting having a second or side job.
Why workers are joining
Proponents argue that the model aligns work with natural peaks of concentration and energy, rather than forcing productivity during afternoon slumps.
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Short, intense blocks are seen as a way to enjoy “deep work” while still leaving room for exercise, taking kids to school, or caregiving responsibilities that rarely fit into a rigid office day—maybe even ironman workouts.
Mental health is another attraction. HR consultants say that, when adopted intentionally, microshifts can reduce burnout and decision fatigue by giving professionals permission to disconnect between blocks.
In results-oriented organizations, managers report that performance has not declined when employees plan their own microshifts, as long as they remain available for key meetings and high-impact in-person engagements.
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Germanavicius, the ironman competitor, emphasized to Fortune that he encourages people to take vacations and “not experience burnout, because it is very difficult to recover,” including himself.
Referring to the valuable lesson he learned from the Shaolin monks that “practice is tiring”, he said that he really demands a lot from himself and expects the same from his team, but there is a limit.
“The company cannot depend on me,” he said. “If it depends, that means I’m making a craft, not a business. The business has to work for you; you shouldn’t work for the business.”
Work experts warn that scheduling autonomy can turn into an informal obligation, with employees quietly stretching work into 14 or 16 hours to stay responsive across time zones.
Some large employers, especially in the financial and government sectors, remain cautious, pushing for a return to more presence-centered office cultures and expressing concerns about coordination, accountability and oversight in such disparate patterns.
Jones Lang LaSalle was clear in its workforce trends research: the next battleground between workers and employers has already shifted from the where to the when.
Work-life balance has overtaken salary as the top priority for office workers globally (65%, up from 59% in 2022), with employees especially looking to “manage time over place.”
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