The government would investigate reports that Atomic Energy Council Minister Hsieh Shou-shing (謝曉星) verbally and physically harassed female staff, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said yesterday.
Su was responding to questions at the legislature over a Chinese-language Mirror Media article published yesterday that said Hsieh allegedly selected his assistants “like an emperor choosing concubines” and insisted that all four of them accompany him to lunch.
The article also said that Hsieh had been seen working in a cafe instead of his office, and that he had a short temper, citing an alleged incident in which a human resources department employee was transferred after an altercation with Hsieh.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
At a question-and-answer session at the legislature, Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) asked Su whether the Cabinet would launch an investigation into the allegations against Hsieh.
Chiu also urged Su to ensure that Cabinet members maintain a level of professionalism befitting a person in their position, and guarantee a safe and gender-friendly work environment.
Democratic Progressive Party legislators Fan Yun (范雲) and Lai Pin-yu (賴品妤) said that as Hsieh served as the council’s highest-ranking officer, the Cabinet should investigate the claims to uphold the rights of the alleged victims.
Although Taiwan has a long way to go in promoting a gender-friendly work environment, the government should hold itself to the highest standard, they said.
Following the article’s publication, Hsieh issued a statement through the council, saying that allegations in the article that he “often changed his assistants” were false, as there are people in that position who have worked in the office for about six years.
Regarding allegations that he was overly familiar with his assistants, Hsieh said he had developed a habit of being friendly with staff after years of working in academia, when he was often as much a teacher as a friend to his students, adding that he would be more careful to prevent further misunderstandings.
As to the article’s claim that he had a short temper, Hsieh said that although he had been known to openly rebuke colleagues and subordinates, it was because he wanted to make sure their performance lived up to their position at the council.
The alleged altercation with a human resources department employee had been a misunderstanding, he said, adding that the person had been promoted to deputy director of the department during organizational restructuring.
Hsieh also said that he was attending online courses at cafes and not doing government work.
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