Summary: One-third of UK managers are brokering covert flexible working arrangements with their teams, exposing a fundamental disconnect between official policy and workplace reality. Microshifting – splitting the traditional nine-to-five into flexible time blocks – is gaining traction as a practical solution.
According to new research from global talent solutions provider Robert Walters, one-third (33%) of UK managers admit to having ‘covert’ flexible working agreements with their team members. The study of 2,000 white-collar professionals across the UK also finds that only 35% of workers support their organisation’s current flexible working policy.
Meet the microshifters
With three-quarters dissatisfied with their company’s official line on flexible working, an emerging microshifting trend is gaining traction.
Microshifters are taking their traditional nine-to-five working day and splitting it into shorter time blocks that best suit their energy levels, personal obligations, care duties, and capacity for productivity.
This means a worker might start earlier or finish later, with more breaks spread throughout the day. Schedules vary based on each individual’s working preferences and unique needs, rather than a company-wide blanket rule on working hours.
The research shows that 61% of UK workers want their employer to adopt microshifting. Notably, 40% say it would actually encourage them to increase the number of days they spend in the office each week.
Microshifting and return-to-office mandates
The return-to-office (RTO) mandate debate persists. While Robert Walters’ research finds 52% of employers now expect staff in the office for three or more days each week, employees are pushing back. Three in five UK workers stated they would not comply with RTO demands, according to a 2025 study by the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s Business School.
Microshifting could, therefore, be considered an effective lever to pull in negotiations on in-person working.
Lucy Bisset, Director of Robert Walters North, comments: “Offering flexible hours may feel counterproductive for employers looking to increase office attendance. Yet, a more adaptable schedule, without the pressure of rush hour commutes or staying at their desk all day, could motivate professionals to attend the office more frequently.”
However, an employer who prioritises desk-working hours over outputs may be missing the whole point of microshifting.
Indeed, leadership development & culture transformation expert Deborah Hartung challenges this approach:”As Mark Carney put it at Davos last week: ‘Nostalgia is not a strategy.’ It’s time to wake up, measure delivery over desk time, and performance over physical presence.”
Managers’ response to microshifting
With a third of managers currently agreeing to covert flexible working arrangements, it’s unsurprising to see this cohort showing support for microshifting. Over two-fifths (43%) of the line managers surveyed thought microshifting could strengthen team engagement. A further 37% said they were open to experimenting with the approach.
“Microshifting is a more transparent version of the unofficial flexible working arrangements that already exist in many UK organisations,” Bisset remarks. “For managers and senior leaders, the question is whether it should be governed by trust and outcomes or quietly negotiated between colleagues.”
Support for microshifting among managers is split. Just over half (51%) believe this way of working could lead to quiet quitting and professionals slacking.
“While fears of microshifting fuelling disengagement are justified, the reality is that rigid working patterns are already pushing professionals to seek workarounds,” states Bisset.
Beyond the buzzword
While micro-shifting is depicted as a workplace trend gaining momentum, Hartung cautions against viewing it as merely the latest buzzword. Rather, it’s an approach based on trust and autonomy, with outcomes measured rather than desk presence.
She describes the research as “a flashing warning light showing how senior leaders and shareholders are still clinging to visibility as a proxy for value, while employees are living the reality of modern work, parenting, and caregiving.”
“If policies were genuinely fit for purpose, 33% of managers wouldn’t be brokering covert deals just to keep teams productive and sane,” Hartung concludes.
Key takeaways for HR leaders
If you’re looking to address covert arrangements and transition to more fit-for-purpose flexible working policies, consider these actions:
- Understand what’s actually happening. Speak confidentially with line managers to learn what informal arrangements already exist. These conversations will show you where your official policy fails and what employees genuinely need.
- Focus on outcomes. Define clear deliverables and success metrics. If you can’t articulate what good performance looks like beyond attendance, your policy won’t support flexible working effectively.
- Test microshifting with supportive managers. Choose managers who already demonstrate trust-based leadership and run a three-month trial. Measure engagement, productivity, and retention before and after to build your evidence base.
- Reconsider your return-to-office approach. If 40% of workers say microshifting would increase their office attendance, flexible hours might achieve what mandates cannot. Consider whether you’re trying to build collaboration or enforce compliance.
- Make flexibility discussable. The fact that 33% of managers are operating covertly signals a trust problem at the organisational level. Create safe pathways for open conversation about flexible working arrangements.
