📰 Mirror Me Blog Series: Portmeirion Scandal — Part V

“The HR Illusion: When Silence Becomes Strategy”

🪞 Introduction:

They tell you to go to HR.
That HR is safe.
That HR will protect you.

But what happens when HR isn’t about human resources…
…it’s about hushing the truth?

This is the story of how I did exactly what I was “supposed” to do — and was punished for it anyway.

💻 The Day I Went to HR:

On Thursday, January 30, 2025, I was working in the office when I asked Paula Hawks if she had time to meet with me, the HR representative then asked if I would be working from home the following day. I told her I would be. Paula didn’t want to have the zoom call while I was in the office… Why?

That Friday, January 31st, we had a private Zoom call.
For nearly an hour, I told her everything:

• The disorganized and toxic accounting department
  
  

• Duplicate and missing vendor payments
  
  

• Tense favoritism
  
  

• A culture of fear, mismanagement, and manipulation
  
  

• My professional history of whistleblowing and integrity
  
  

I asked Paula to call my professional references — Roger Blanchette and Neils Van Dunien, both of whom had seen me protect employees and stand up to unethical executives before.
I explained I wasn’t new to this — I was true to this.

She nodded. She thanked me.

And then she did nothing.

🔁 The Chain Reaction:

After our call, Paula had a one-hour Zoom with Dominique.
Then Dominique called Jennifer, her favorite.

By Monday morning, the tone had changed.
It was cold. It was calculated.

Then, on Tuesday, February 4th, Dominique responded to my email with an abrupt, passive-aggressive message that abruptly ended my assignment and resulted in me being walked out—without any investigation, HR follow-up, or accountability.

🧊 Let’s Be Clear:

Paula Hawks didn’t fire me.
But her silence enabled it.

⚖️ Legal & Ethical Failures:

Let’s call it what it is:

• Retaliation for Protected Activity
  
  

• Failure to Launch HR Protocol
  
  

• Complicity in a Hostile Work Environment
  
  

HR is supposed to act as a neutral party. But when Paula warned Dominique, she tipped the scales and colluded — whether intentionally or not.

That weekend, Dominique plotted her response.
She didn’t act alone. She acted with Paula’s silence.

🧠 Psychological Impact:

The emotional whiplash of being ignored after speaking up is real.

It sends the message:

Your voice is a threat, not a contribution.

It creates a workplace where people don’t feel safe.
Where abuse festers.
Where truth is punished — and dysfunction is protected.

🪞 Reflection Prompt:

Have you ever been brave enough to speak up and then felt punished for it?
What would you say to the version of yourself who still believed someone would listen?

💬 Affirmation of the Day:

“My truth is not too loud — the system is just too quiet.”

🔍 Why This Story Matters:

So many people are told to “go to HR” when something feels wrong. But no one talks about what happens when HR chooses silence over action.

This blog isn’t just about Portmeirion.
It’s about every company that preaches integrity, but punishes it.

Tomorrow’s blog will dive into how leadership enabled chaos in accounting, and how people like Dominique weaponize control — even when they’re the ones losing it.

To be continued…