The non-linear career shift

There are also no guarantees that the linear trajectory once billed as the singular, safe route to professional glory will even nourish you financially. As technology reboots roles, PwC global chairman Mohamed Kande recently admitted that the firm was trying to hire a ‘different set’ of people – namely, AI engineers. Such comments add to growing concerns that jobs at all levels could be at risk from technological advances.

Shifting mindset

So, to improve longevity prospects from both a wellbeing and professional standpoint, more mid-life employees are looking beyond the hierarchal ladder – side-stepping or hopping off completely.

‘The status mindset is shifting from job titles towards freedom, flexibility and staying mentally healthy,’ says business growth strategist Jason Tassie, who believes career models of the future will feature sabbaticals, a preference for part-time roles, and older workers mixing consulting and freelance projects instead of full retirement. ‘They could all prove safer options than clinging to a single job until it disappears,’ he adds. ‘Non-linear careers aren’t always about slowing down; they’re about staying useful for longer.’

Here are some of the ways that might play out.

Late-career sabbaticals

Time off was once a dirty word. Serious professionals took their annual leave allowance and not an hour more; the truly dedicated survived on less. But sabbaticals are emerging as an antidote to running-on-fumes models of working, with a recent study by the Future of Work Research Centre at the UK’s University of Surrey identifing a clear fulfilment dip among highly skilled professionals in their 40s.

Dawn McGruer, a business growth coach specialising in flexible career designs, sees the pattern play out among those well established professionally. ‘With our always-on culture and tech advancements, I’d expect to see more people in their mid-forties using a three- to 12-month sabbatical to upskill in AI or data, test a lighter advisory role or recuperate,’ she says.

Micro-retirement

McGruer is witnessing what she calls a ‘more radical’ model, ‘where people simply stop, step away from the firm and give themselves space to reassess life’. Gen Z have coined this ‘micro-retiring’ – a planned, temporary break from work to weigh up your next move – but just because it originated on TikTok doesn’t mean it’s not a serious proposition.

For McGruer, the biggest risk is career drift. ‘When someone slips away from a clear, intentional career trajectory it can create feelings of anxiety, guilt and shame, especially for someone used to measured progression,’ she says.

But micro-retirement can offer some space to consider how and where to move next. ‘The pauses that land best are time-boxed,’ says McGruer. ‘You’ll avoid losing touch with your core skills and you won’t allow your network links or visibility to weaken.’

Autonomous schedules

If 2025 was about the standoff between being in the office versus remote working, the next demand will be schedule control: work hours tailored in non-linear blocks to suit personal productivity patterns and/or non-work responsibilities. ‘Schedule autonomy is the one trend you’ll feel the most in 2026,’ says Will Steward, CEO and co-founder of talent platform The SaaS Jobs.

Trending models include compressed weeks, where full-time hours are worked in condensed formats, such as the 4/10 (you work four 10-hour days for a three-day weekend). In core-hours models, companies set a window when employees must be available; outside of that window, staff fulfil their hours on their terms. Steward also predicts more outcome-based contracts, ‘where deliverables are fixed but time isn’t, giving people room to design a week that matches their energy patterns’.

So, what’s demoting the 9-5 workday? Steward attributes it to a ‘permission-and-proof’ culture, especially among male employees. ‘Policy changes now normalise fathers taking leave and requesting flexibility, eldercare demands are rising and many senior men are managing long-term health conditions or burnout,’ he says. ‘Prestige is shifting from presence to results and proof. Four-day-week pilots in the UK stayed because productivity held up.’

Soft retirement

As people stay healthier for longer, workable years are on the up – meaning Gen Z is faced with the somewhat daunting prospect of 60-year careers rather than 40. The wins of a ‘soft’ retirement – where employees reduce their hours before fully retiring – work both ways. Employees delay the loss of income and purpose, while employers access expert-level talent on a part-time basis. ‘Cost pressure is a big driver here. Leaders prefer buying senior expertise for 90-day bursts with clean exit ramps rather than adding permanent headcount,’ Steward says.

McGruer sees the taper-down taking forms such as phased hours, seasonal work, mentoring-led roles, project-based work or long-term part-time arrangements. ‘Currently, the most active demographic is those 50-plus, who want to keep earning and preserve their pension and benefits, but still reduce stress. As time goes on, there’ll likely be more of a spread,’ she says.