TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Labor Minister Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) apologized on Monday (Nov. 19) after a civil servant died by suicide at work.

Ho held a press conference to address the death at an office of the ministry’s Workforce Development Agency (WDA) in Xinzhunang on Nov. 4. Ho bowed in apology before explaining the results of a ministry investigation, per CNA.

WDA Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良), also present at the press conference, said he is willing to bear responsibility for the incident. He said he would request the most severe punishment for his failings.

Ho said the employee who died was required to take on an unreasonable level of responsibility. The employee was the only full-time staff member working on an online employment system covering greater Taipei, Keelung, Yilan, Lienchiang, and Kinmen. 

This included managing cases of between 300,000 and 800,000 migrant workers, Ho added. The workload had grown many times without staffing increases, per UDN.

The labor ministry said its investigation found that the employee frequently arrived at work around 5 a.m. and left after 7 or 8 p.m. They also did not apply for overtime pay. 

The employee who died will be posthumously awarded the Ministry of Labor’s Labor Professional Medal and compensation will be sought for them, Ho said. 

In addition, the ministry found that a WDA director at the Xinzhuang branch named Hsieh I-jung (謝宜容) had an inappropriate management style and did not properly control her emotions. Ho said while this did not directly cause the employee’s death, Hsieh should bear administrative responsibility as a supervising staff member.

Hsieh would curse and yell at colleagues when unhappy with their work, the investigation found. The ministry said that staff members felt personally insulted or belittled by Hsieh, and they had sought psychiatric help because of her actions.

Hsieh also required staff to respond to LINE messages when they were off duty or on holiday, the ministry said. Staff felt panicked, as they would be criticized the next day if they had not replied immediately.

Ho said Hsieh has been demoted to a non-supervisory position. She said any further punishment for Hsieh would follow performance review regulations for public servants.

The ministry said Hsieh had admitted she did not control her emotions and spoke loudly. The ministry said she would reflect on her actions.

Ho added that all information systems-related projects at the WDA office would be suspended until staffing evaluations had been completed. She said that, amid existing staffing shortages, technological developments have caused the WDA's workload to sharply increase.

Ho said she would also ask the Cabinet to consider solutions. She said she would fight for staffing increases in WDA offices, specifically in information service roles.

If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, please seek help immediately. You can call the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center at 1925, or the Taiwan Lifeline International at 1995 (English and Mandarin service available).

The Community Services Center hotline is available for foreign residents at 02-2836-8134 (business hours) or 0932-594-578 (after hours).