TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A presidential order issued Wednesday dismissed trade negotiator Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮) from her minister without portfolio post, following an investigation that concluded her conduct amounted to workplace bullying.
The dismissal came days after the Cabinet released findings from an independent probe into allegations involving Yang and her late deputy, Yen Hui-hsin (顏慧欣), a former deputy chief trade representative. Yen took leave for health reasons last year and resigned in March, shortly before her death at age 53, according to Business Today.
In her resignation letter, Yen said her proposals on Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, along with a broader reform of the trade negotiators’ office, were repeatedly ignored. Following her passing, allegations of workplace bullying and mistreatment surfaced.
The investigation found that Yang “consistently” dismissed Yen’s views and interrupted her during discussions. It concluded that her conduct created a hostile work environment and placed severe psychological pressure on Yen, amounting to workplace bullying.
Yang has twice denied the allegations, arguing that the investigation relied on accounts from a small number of individuals. Yang noted that the report found no concrete evidence for several of the claims made against her and said she is considering legal action.
