Heather Palmore, a former chief trial counsel at the New York-based personal injury litigation firm Napoli Shkolnik, is facing a lawsuit filed by her former employer. The suit alleges that Palmore “quiet quit” her job while still receiving her $400,000 salary and promoted her own law firm, The Palmore Group P.C., which is a breach of her employment agreement.
If you don’t know what “quiet quitting” is, it’s is a workplace trend that encourages workers to only perform the minimum duties outlined in their job descriptions and decline to take on additional responsibilities or work longer hours than necessary. The idea is that workers should not feel obligated to work beyond what they are contracted to do and should prioritize their work-life balance. The trend has gained popularity in recent years as workers have sought to push back against the expectation of always being available and always working harder. However, employers may view this trend as a breach of the employment agreement, as was the case in the lawsuit filed by Napoli Shkolnik against its former employee Heather Palmore.
Here is part of her bio that was on the Napoli website, which has since been removed:
Part of Palmore’s bio on her former employer’s website
In the suit, Napoli Shkolnik alleges that Palmore misrepresented her skill set and experience to obtain her position at the firm. The lawsuit further claims that once she was hired, she took advantage of the remote work environment to work for two law firms simultaneously, Napoli Shkolnik and Palmore Law Group, P.C., in violation of New York law. Napoli Shkolnik claims that despite her significant salary, Palmore performed “little to no work” and was in direct competition with the firm by promoting her own legal firm.
Palmore has filed her own lawsuit, accusing the firm of race and disability discrimination by senior management. She labeled her former bosses as “boorish bullies” and claimed that she was subjected to retaliatory acts after complaining about racial discrimination in 2022. Palmore denied quietly quitting her job and claimed that she was cut off from the firm’s network after informing them of her intent to file claims against the company.
The legal battle between Napoli Shkolnik and Palmore raises several questions about workplace trends and the pressures of the modern workplace. The “quiet quitting” trend, for example, encourages workers to only perform the minimum duties outlined in their job descriptions and decline to take on additional responsibilities or work longer hours than necessary. While it might seem like a reasonable response to the pressures of the modern workplace, some workers are questioning whether it is fair to take advantage of employers.
The allegations of race and disability discrimination made by Palmore have also raised concerns about workplace culture and how employers should handle employee complaints. While companies are legally required to have policies in place to protect workers from discrimination, the process can be difficult for employees to navigate, and many workers fear retaliation if they speak out.
The legal battle between Napoli Shkolnik and Palmore highlights the importance of employment contracts and the need for clear expectations around job duties and responsibilities. It also raises questions about the ethics of promoting one’s own business while working for a company and whether the “quiet quitting” trend is an appropriate response to the pressures of the modern workplace.
As the case continues to unfold, it is likely that we will see more discussion around these issues and how they impact workers and employers alike. Whether or not the case sets a precedent remains to be seen, but it is clear that it has shone a light on some of the challenges facing workers and employers in the modern workplace.
You can see Palmore’s instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/ladylawher/
