TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) pledged on Wednesday (Nov. 20) that Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), the head of the Workforce Development Agency's northern branch (WDA) office, must apologize upon returning to work on Friday (Nov. 22). Ho also announced Hsieh's demotion amid an ongoing investigation into allegations of workplace bullying linked to an employee's suicide.
The Ministry of Labor (MOL, 勞動部) released a report on Tuesday (Nov. 19) stating it found no evidence directly implicating Hsieh in bullying the deceased employee. The report has sparked public skepticism. Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) Legislator Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽) questioned why Hsieh has not yet apologized, prompting Ho to assure that she would urge Hsieh to apologize promptly.
Hsieh has been demoted to a Level 10 specialist, though Ho noted the new location for Hsieh's reassignment remains undecided, and disciplinary actions are still underway. The investigation's findings have dissatisfied some frontline workers at the northern branch, but Ho clarified that online rumors about the investigation team members are inaccurate, affirming the report's credibility.
As the situation unfolds, the MOL faces mounting pressure to address the concerns of both the public and its employees.