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By Chen Yen-ting
and Chung Li-hua /
Staff reporters
A decision on disciplinary action would be made next week after an investigation ruled that workplace bullying occurred at the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday.
It is important that workplaces are respectful and friendly places, Cho said.
It would take time to review the investigation report, he said, adding that he would go through it thoroughly before announcing what action would be taken.
Photo courtesy of the Executive Yuan
Yen Huai-shing (顏慧欣), a former deputy chief trade negotiator at the office, died on March 12 due to illness.
Following her death, reports alleged that Yen was subjected to workplace bullying by Minister Without Portfolio Jenni Yang (楊珍妮) while Yang was chief trade negotiator at the office.
Yang’s behavior put Yen under significant psychological stress, the reports said.
The Executive Yuan on March 27 set up the committee and appointed three “external members” to investigate the allegations, with the report released on Friday.
The investigation was an administrative probe conducted according to occupational safety and health protection rules. It was initiated in response to the media reports and there was no formal complainant.
Executive Yuan deputy secretary-general Lee Guo-hsing (李國興) said that of 12 allegations investigated, two were substantiated as workplace bullying by Yang, while 10 were not.
The report found that Yang, in her official capacity, used her position of authority to exceed the appropriate scope of her duties, repeatedly dismissing Yen’s views in a derogatory manner and interrupting her, creating a hostile and unfriendly work environment.
The behavior caused Yen significant psychological and stress, and was deemed to constitute workplace bullying, the report said.
Yang had displayed similar conduct toward other colleagues at the office, it said.
Yang made comments to Yen such as “coming from an academic background and being relatively young, you can sometimes be too direct” and “you can’t talk to a senior official like that; that’s inappropriate,” while also interrupting her during exchanges, the report said.
The report said there was no bullying involved in 10 other issues, including: disputes over Yen’s seating arrangements and work assignments during a US visit for Taiwan-US trade talks; the assignment of a dedicated secretary; an alleged “show of force” over Yen’s absence; Yen’s suggestions regarding Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership being rejected; claims she was sidelined; and Yen being assigned to attend legislative hearings.
Yang said in a statement on Friday that the report relied on one-sided accounts by a few individuals and lacked due process.
Yen began receiving medical treatment shortly after joining the office in June 2024 and took intermittent leave for treatment from July that year, Yang said.
From September last year, Yen took extended medical leave due to pneumonia before resigning in February, she said, adding that she had respected Yen’s request for privacy and did not disclose her medical condition publicly.
Yen had extensive experience in international trade policy research and she respected her professional expertise, Yang said.
Her views were valuable, and the two had communicated and sought consensus, she said.
Yen never expressed her feelings or concerns to her or other colleagues, Yang said.
Workplace bullying findings should be based on a full set of facts, objective evidence and whether conduct meets the legal criteria, Yang said.
She disputed the report’s conclusion that she repeatedly made derogatory remarks toward Yen, saying she had never made such comments in the office or in public, and did not believe colleagues would view her that way.
The report’s conclusion is unfair and procedurally flawed, she said, adding that it relies on one-sided accounts from a small group of people with ulterior motives.
There should be further investigation through proper legal procedures to establish the full set of facts, Yang said.
