Due to Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) placing a greater emphasis on work efficiency than his predecessors, more than 38 percent of Taipei City Government employees said they might leave their jobs next year, while more than 41 percent of employees said they are having trouble finishing their work without overtime.
The Taipei Research, Development and Evaluation Commission obtained the results from a survey of 21,000 Taipei civil servants.
The survey found that Taipei civil servants are more satisfied with the head of their agencies than with Ko, with 78.41 percent of respondents saying they were satisfied with their directors’ abilities and leadership styles, while 72.31 percent said they are pleased with Ko in the same areas.
Several Taipei city councilors have warned about an “exodus” of Taipei civil servants, saying that about 1,500 city government employees resigned or transferred because of work-related stress after Ko took office last year.
However, Ko seemed unfazed by the large number of resignations and transfers, saying: “Those who have remained are the best, because it means that they have adapted to their jobs.”
When asked to comment on his approval ratings trailing those of officials under him, Ko said it probably explained why “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Ko said his management style might put pressure on city government employees, but he does not regret ordering the survey, as it has shown him areas that he needs to improve in.
In response to criticism by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chen Chung-wen (陳重文) about the city government converting 20 percent of overtime pay due to Department of Environmental Protection employees between July and September to time off in lieu, Ko said the conversion was adopted to respond to a surge in overtime caused by typhoons.
“Taipei residents are very demanding. They would not give us two months to clean up the city,” Ko said.
In response to Chen’s questions about the overtime pay reductions, Department Commissioner Liou Ming-lone (劉銘龍) on Tuesday said it was his decision to enforce the measure, and that he would take full responsibility for it.
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