Allegations of abuse will be investigated and the minister will resign

• By Fion Khan / CNA Contributing Writer

The New Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office said today that it is investigating the offense of misconduct and has named the branch director of the Ministry of Labor’s Workforce Development Agency, Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), as a defendant allegedly involved in workplace bullying that resulted in the death of an employee

Labor Minister Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) verbally resigned today, said cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝).

Hsieh was dismissed yesterday after receiving two serious performance review demerits.

Photo: Liu Hsin-te, Taipei Times

Protesters gathered this morning in front of the Ministry of Labor, holding a black cloth with the words “Anti-bullying, we want the truth.”

Soochow University School of Law professor Hu Po-yen (胡博硯) has called for a thorough investigation to bring justice to workers as all eyes are on how the ministry responsible for workers’ rights deals with intimidation taking place in its own workplace.

New Power Party chairwoman Claire Wang (王婉諭) criticized the ministry’s investigation report as “illogical” and “absurd”, saying the ministry was unable to investigate its own problems.

Wang called for the establishment of a mechanism to prevent workplace bullying as current measures and regulations are not sufficient.

Wang added that Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) should organize an investigation group of third-party specialists that would investigate not only Hsieh but also all relevant high-level officials, including Ho and Vice Minister of Labor Hsu Chuan-sheng (許傳盛).

She said people who left the unit because of bullying needed to be interviewed to get a full picture of the event.

Yesterday, Hsieh issued a public apology in which she admitted responsibility for “poor emotional control” and “excessive requests” that led to “significant stress” for colleagues.

While she denied that her “leadership style” had anything to do with Wu’s death, Hsieh also apologized to Wu’s family and others affected by her “inability to provide timely support.”

She also released a 3,000-word statement issued by her lawyer accusing media reports of treating her unfairly as if she was undergoing a “public trial.”

An employee surnamed Wu (吳) was found dead at Executive Yuan’s Sinjhuang Coworking Office building on November 4, and preliminary investigation determined the cause of death was suicide, which allegedly occurred as a result of Hsieh’s abuse.

Additional reporting by Li Ching-hui and Wang Ting-chuan