AI - Artificial Intelligence, Employee Burnout, Employee well-being, Employee Engagement , Leadership, Mental Wellness
Key Takeaways:
- Microshifting breaks the workday into short, non-linear blocks timed around each person's energy, responsibilities, and focus.
- Workplace burnout is climbing as AI expands workloads, with 39% of Canadian employees reporting burnout in 2025, up from 35% in 2023.
- Flexible schedule demand has outpaced access in Canada, where 64.7% of employees called flexibility important or essential but only 30.3% could set their own start and end times.
- Flexible work arrangements now extend beyond where people work to when they work, making schedule autonomy the next step after hybrid.
- Workplace flexibility holds up only with clear goals, capable managers, and well-defined roles; without them, it weakens employees' ties to the organisation.
- Right to disconnect policies, already required in Ontario for employers with 25 or more employees, give microshifting the boundaries it needs to stay healthy.
AI was supposed to give people time back, yet 62% of professionals in Canada now report burnout, up from 47% in late 2024. Microshifting, working in short blocks that follow natural energy and focus, is one proposed answer. Here’s how it works, where it goes wrong, and why the Best Workplaces™ for Mental Wellness show that flexibility only helps when it rests on a foundation of trust.
Artificial intelligence was supposed to give people time back. A growing body of research points the other way, with evidence that AI is intensifying work for many employees instead of lightening the load.
Canadian workers are already feeling the strain. In a 2026 Robert Half survey, 62% of professionals in Canada reported burnout, up from 47% in late 2024. AI is part of the picture: 37% said new tools are raising expectations for output, 32% worried about job security if they fall behind on adoption, and 29% described fatigue from constantly having to learn new platforms.
If jobs are going to remain sustainable in this environment, leaders will need to rethink how work is designed. That has pushed the future of work conversation past speed and volume, where people were never going to outpace machines, toward how employees manage energy, motivation and well-being across a day.
That is where microshifting enters the picture: an approach to work design that follows the natural ebb and flow of human concentration.
AI, Burnout and the Case for Microshifting in Canada
of professionals in Canada reported burnout in 2026, up from 47% in late 2024.
say new AI tools are raising expectations for output.
worry about job security if they fall behind on AI.
feel fatigue from constantly learning new platforms.
of office workers would like to try microshifts.
of Canadian employees value a flexible schedule, but only 30.3% can set their own hours.
What Is Microshifting?
65% of office workers say they would like to try microshifts
What is microshifting at work?
Microshifting means working in several short, non-linear blocks across the day rather than one continuous 9-to-5, with each block timed around a person’s energy, other responsibilities and focus. Blocks can last hours or just a few minutes.
Owl Labs, which introduced the term, describes microshifting as work completed in short, non-linear blocks shaped by a person’s energy, their other responsibilities, and the times of day when they focus best.
In practice, the traditional 9-to-5 gives way to a day divided into segments that employees complete on their own timing. One person might do their sharpest work for a couple of hours late in the evening. Another might trade a morning block for a stretch between 10 p.m. and midnight.
The blocks can be far shorter, too. Someone might work intensely on one task for five or 10 minutes, move to something else, then come back to it later, shifting between work and non-work throughout the day.
Supporters say this rhythm mirrors how work really gets done, particularly for people working remotely.
Employees appear keen. Roughly 65% of office workers say they would like to try microshifts, according to Owl Labs. In Canada, demand for a flexible schedule has outpaced access for some time. Statistics Canada found that in 2022, 30.3% of employees could choose when their workday started and ended, while 64.7% described a flexible schedule as an important or essential job factor.
A Fresh Label for an Old Form of Workplace Flexibility
39% of Canadian employees reported feeling burned out in 2025
Is microshifting a new idea?
Not entirely. Many professions already work in short blocks, and methods like the Pomodoro Technique are microshifts in action. What’s new is the intent: building deliberate breaks into the day to manage energy and prevent burnout.
The trend has picked up momentum in some circles, but plenty of professions will see nothing new in it. Lawyers who track their time in six-minute increments have been microshifting for decades.
What may be different is the intent: making breaks a deliberate part of the day. That matters as workplace burnout keeps rising in Canada. In a 2025 Mental Health Research Canada report, 39% of employees reported feeling burned out, up from 35% in 2023.
The conversation also reflects a wider shift. After years of debating hybrid and remote models following the pandemic, organisations are now looking at flexible work arrangements more broadly, including when work happens and not only where.
Once employees have flexibility over where they work and how they show up, control over their own schedule is the logical next step.
The Pomodoro Technique is a familiar example of microshifts in action: 25 minutes of undistracted focus followed by a short break. Studies suggest the method can improve human learning and cognitive performance.
Where a Flexible Schedule Can Go Wrong
Where a flexible schedule can go wrong: microshifts need clear norms, goals and guardrails
What are the risks of microshifting?
Without clear goals, strong managers and shared norms, microshifting can weaken accountability and strain working relationships, because colleagues who rely on each other may struggle to connect when schedules no longer overlap.
Microshifts will not succeed in an organisation that lacks clear norms and guardrails. Without structure, clear performance benchmarks and defined goals, added flexibility tends to loosen the ties between employees and the organisation rather than strengthen them.
The fundamentals need to come first: a strong culture, capable managers, clear incentives and well-defined jobs. The same holds for almost any workplace flexibility policy that gives individuals more control.
Working relationships are a second concern. Flexibility given to one person also affects the colleagues who depend on them. When someone is repeatedly out of reach just as a problem needs solving, those relationships start to wear down, and reaching out is already harder on remote teams.
Technology can carry some of that weight. Collaboration tools and device notifications can signal when a teammate needs something urgently, so people stay reachable in the moments that matter without being tethered to a screen all day.
Microshifting and the Right to Disconnect
Ontario employers with 25 or more employees need a written disconnecting from work policy
Does microshifting conflict with the right to disconnect?
No. Microshifting makes clear disconnection rules even more important. Shared availability windows and response expectations let employees work flexibly while still knowing when they are free to switch off.
Flexibility works best when there is a clearly shared window during which people are available and responsive. Outside that window, employees can step away once their workday is done.
For Canadian employers, that balance already has a legal dimension. In Ontario, employers with 25 or more employees on January 1 must have a written policy on disconnecting from work. Federally, amendments to the Canada Labour Code will require federally regulated private-sector employers and federal Crown corporations to issue right to disconnect policies once those provisions come into force.
Microshifting and the right to disconnect are not at odds. A day built from short, non-linear blocks makes it even more important to spell out when people are expected to respond and when they are free to switch off. Before piloting microshifts, consider putting these foundations in place:
- Clear goals and benchmarks: Measure outcomes rather than hours online, so flexibility does not loosen accountability.
- Shared availability windows: Agree on core hours when teammates can reliably reach one another.
- Notification norms: Use collaboration tools to flag urgent needs, and set expectations for response times outside shared hours.
- A disconnecting from work policy: Align microshifting guidelines with your existing policy, or create one if your organisation does not yet have it.
- Manager readiness: Equip people leaders to support a flexible schedule without defaulting to constant check-ins.
Build Flexibility on a Foundation of Trust
62% of professionals in Canada report burnout
How can leaders make flexible schedules work?
Flexible schedules work when trust runs both ways: employees trust that flexibility is genuine, and leaders trust that the work will get done. Measuring how people actually experience workload and support shows where to start.
Whether microshifting eases workplace burnout or deepens it depends less on the schedule and more on the culture around it. Employees need to trust that flexibility is genuine, and leaders need to trust that the work will get done.
The Trust Index™ Survey shows how your employees actually experience flexibility, workload, and support, so you can act on what matters most. Explore how high-trust cultures drive retention, innovation, and performance through the Great Place To Work Effect.
This article is an adaptation of the original Great Place To Work®, written by Ted Kitterman, Content Manager.
Is your flexibility helping or adding to burnout? Certification as a Great Place To Work® shows you how employees experience workload, flexibility and support, so you can design work that is sustainable.
Best Workplaces™ for Mental Wellness
These organizations make mental health part of how work is designed, not an afterthought. At least 80% of their employees agree that their workplace is a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work. By pairing flexibility with clear expectations, supportive managers and genuine trust, they help people manage energy and workload, reduce burnout, and stay engaged for the long term.
Tools & Resources
- Employee Survey: Measure how employees experience workload, flexibility and the right to disconnect before you pilot microshifts, so changes target the real causes of burnout.
- Culture Consulting: Build the clear goals, availability norms and manager readiness that keep a flexible schedule from loosening accountability or straining teams.
- Employee Engagement: Keep people connected and motivated as work shifts into shorter, non-linear blocks, with rhythms that protect energy instead of draining it.
- Best Workplaces™ for Mental Wellness: See the Canadian organizations whose employees say their workplace is psychologically and emotionally healthy, and how they design work to prevent burnout.
Feedback
Your feedback matters to us! We are always looking for ways to make our content more useful for Canadian leaders. Have feedback? Fill out this form by clicking here.
Get Certified 
Flexibility only eases burnout when employees trust it is genuine. Certification gives you validated feedback on how your people experience workload, flexibility and support. Get Certified today, then find out whether your organization belongs on the Best Workplaces™ for Mental Wellness List.
People Also Asked
What are examples of flexible work arrangements?
Common options include flextime, where employees adjust their start and end times, a compressed work week, remote or hybrid work, and microshifting. Many organisations combine several of these depending on the role.
What is the difference between flextime and microshifting?
Flextime usually shifts a single continuous workday earlier or later. Microshifting splits the day into several shorter blocks, with personal time in between, based on when each person focuses best.
How does schedule flexibility affect job satisfaction?
Control over working hours is closely tied to how satisfied people feel in their jobs. It gives employees room to manage caregiving, health, and energy, which supports both retention and well-being.
What are the signs of workplace burnout?
Frequent signs include ongoing fatigue, lower motivation, reduced efficiency, and irritability. When these show up across a team rather than in one person, workload and work design are worth examining.
What should a disconnecting from work policy include?
In Ontario, the policy must be written, include the date it was prepared and the date of any changes, apply to all employees, and be shared with staff. Strong policies also explain response expectations and any exceptions.
Do Canadian employers have to offer flexible work arrangements?
Requirements depend on jurisdiction. Federally regulated employees can request changes to their hours, schedule, or work location under the Canada Labour Code, while most provinces leave flexibility to employer policy.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is microshifting?
Microshifting is a way of structuring the workday into short, non-linear blocks based on personal energy, responsibilities, or productivity patterns. Instead of one continuous 9-to-5, employees complete work in segments that suit their focus and life demands.
Why is AI contributing to burnout?
New tools often raise expectations rather than lighten the load. Canadian professionals point to pressure for higher output, job security concerns tied to adoption, and fatigue from constantly learning new platforms.
What does an organisation need before introducing microshifts?
Structure comes first: clear performance benchmarks and goals, strong culture, capable managers, clear incentives, and well-defined jobs. Without those foundations, added flexibility can loosen employees' connection to the organisation.
How can teams stay connected when schedules vary?
Agree on a shared window when everyone is available and responsive, and use collaboration tools and device notifications to flag urgent needs. Outside that window, people can step away with confidence.
Is the Pomodoro Technique a form of microshifting?
Yes. Working in focused 25-minute intervals followed by short breaks is a well-known example of microshifts in practice, and research links the method to better learning and cognitive performance.
How does microshifting fit with right to disconnect rules in Canada?
The two work together. Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must have a written policy on disconnecting from work, and federal right to disconnect requirements are set to follow. Clear policies define when people should respond and when they can switch off.
