Addressing bullying
A series of allegations of workplace bullying at government agencies has aroused public concerns. Whatever the result of the administrative investigations, public service ethics have been compromised. It is time to review work procedures in the public sector.
Working under immense pressure, some civil servants take on heavy responsibilities, which can lead to regrettable incidents.
Some people quit even though their job is a so-called “iron rice bowl,” or secure employment. This is why turnover has risen in recent years.
Some people work half-heartedly, then forge work records and are held liable. Some people take their frustrations out on their coworkers and subordinates, which is why there has been a series of bullying allegations.
The administrative sector formulates protocols and regulations to delineate responsibilities and rights, prevent malpractice, pursue consistency, exert internal control and provide a basis for external supervisions implemented by elected officials and watchdogs.
The complexity of the workflow process increases. When the workload is not heavy, standard operating procedures can be implemented step by step, but when workloads are greater, employees might not be able to cope. This can trigger conflicts and lead to overwork. This is why bullying often occurs in “tense workplaces” in government organizations.
After the death of an employee at the Ministry of Labor was linked to alleged bullying by a superior, Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) announced that the government would halt the “5S” movement — sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain — which originated in Japan.
The announcement prompted extensive discussion. The idea itself is not a problem, as it has positive effects from a managerial viewpoint. The government has arranged time for gender equality, incorruptibility, human rights, environmental protection and information security education, which is necessary, but these can become mere formalities that seem like added work and stifle government workers.
Frontline staff work to the point of exhaustion, but to no avail. They even have to bear the consequences of poor execution and withstand being accused that they are a public nuisance.
It is inevitable that conflicts arise, as well as bullying.
When handling bullying allegations, apart from examining personal factors, it is also crucial to take a look at systematic issues and cut red tape. If work procedures are not changed, old problems would continue despite officials stepping down.
Huang Jui-pei
Taipei
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
If you had a vision of the future where China did not dominate the global car industry, you can kiss those dreams goodbye. That is because US President Donald Trump’s promised 25 percent tariff on auto imports takes an ax to the only bits of the emerging electric vehicle (EV) supply chain that are not already dominated by Beijing. The biggest losers when the levies take effect this week would be Japan and South Korea. They account for one-third of the cars imported into the US, and as much as two-thirds of those imported from outside North America. (Mexico and Canada, while
The military is conducting its annual Han Kuang exercises in phases. The minister of national defense recently said that this year’s scenarios would simulate defending the nation against possible actions the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might take in an invasion of Taiwan, making the threat of a speculated Chinese invasion in 2027 a heated agenda item again. That year, also referred to as the “Davidson window,” is named after then-US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Philip Davidson, who in 2021 warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had instructed the PLA to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. Xi in 2017