Lisa Souza, an insurance claims adjuster, regularly volunteered to work on weekends and holidays but the strain was compounded during the pandemic as colleagues retired early or stayed home out of health concerns.

Her workload increased significantly, and she was given projects outside her field, such as setting up new software applications.

“I told them, ‘You’re going to stretch me so far I’m just going to end up being a pile of goo,’” says Souza, who is 57 and lives in Fall River, Massachusetts. “It just got to be too much.’”

So in spring of last year, “I said I’m done. I’m not going to volunteer anymore.”

Millions of Americans are taking a similar approach. Burned out after logging excessive hours or duties during COVID-19, they’re resolving to meet their job requirements but not go beyond. No toiling late into the night. No calls on weekends. And no pushing themselves to the brink even during regular business hours.

Their determination to stick to their job descriptions has been made possible by widespread labor shortages that have given workers unprecedented leverage over employers.                                                                                                             

“Employees are saying, ‘I’m not going to define myself by traditional markers of career progression and success,’” says Mark Royal, senior client partner for Korn Ferry, a recruiting and human resource consulting firm. “I’m going to put a box around work.”

Many workers “have shifted to doing the bare minimum,” says Annie Rosencrans, U.S. people and cultural director for HiBob, which makes HR software.

What is quiet quitting?

The mindset even has a trendy new moniker, “quiet quitting,” popularized by TikTok creator Zaid Khan in a video late last month that has drawn millions of views.