TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) on Friday (Nov. 22) announced a new initiative to combat workplace bullying in administrative bodies following a civil servant's death. He introduced a dedicated email for whistleblowers and pledged to personally handle any reports, aiming to address the ongoing concerns about managerial practices.
Peng, who transitioned from the private sector, expressed discomfort with colleagues receiving messages after work hours, suggesting it should count as overtime. He recommended that urgent messages sent via LINE after hours should be clearly marked; otherwise, they should be addressed during regular work hours, with urgent ones treated as project-based overtime.
Highlighting the disparity between private companies and public agencies, Peng noted that the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) regulates the former but not the latter, enabling supervisors to assign tasks outside regular hours. In June, he instructed supervisors to indicate urgency when assigning tasks, ensuring overtime pay for urgent or unspecified tasks, while non-urgent matters should wait until work hours.
Peng sent an internal memo, which sent the whistleblower an email on Thursday. He reported checking the inbox this morning and finding no submissions yet. Peng emphasized his commitment to personally address complaints and forward them to relevant departments, expressing his hope for public agencies to become happier workplaces.
As Peng's measures unfold, they may set a precedent for addressing workplace bullying and overtime practices in Taiwan's public sector.
>>> 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.