TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) accepted Labor Minister Ho Pei-shan's (何佩珊) resignation on Thursday afternoon, according to a statement from Executive Yuan (行政院) spokesperson on Friday (Nov. 22). Deputy Labor Minister Chen Ming-jen (陳明仁) will temporarily assume the ministerial duties until a suitable replacement is found.
The resignation follows a tragic incident involving a Ministry of Labor (MOL, 勞動部) employee's suicide. Executive Yuan Spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) stated that the ministry's performance evaluation committee has taken disciplinary actions following legal procedures. Expressing sorrow and regret, Premier Cho instructed all departments to complete investigations into complaints within a week and report progress to the Executive Yuan.
In response to the incident, Premier Cho urged a review of the "Workplace Bullying Handling Standard Operating Procedures." (員工職場霸凌處理標準作業流程) He called for improvements and emphasized the need for enhanced external investigation mechanisms. Michelle Lee highlighted the government's responsibility to protect public servants from workplace bullying and announced the establishment of a complaint acceptance mechanism.
Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫), the Executive Yuan's secretary-general, will oversee the new mechanism to ensure public employees have accessible and diverse channels for complaints. This initiative aims to prevent workplace bullying from going unaddressed. As the government seeks to restore confidence, the focus will remain on creating a safer work environment for all public servants.
>>> If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 1995 to reach the Suicide Prevention Line. You can also call the Peace of Mind Line, under the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW ), at 1925, or the Teacher Chang Foundation at 1980 for additional resources.