Government to mull mental health leave for public servants

Taipei, Nov. 28 (CNA) The government is considering the introduction of mental health leave for public servants, Deputy Health Minister Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) said Thursday, after the suicide of an employee at the Ministry of Labor (MOL) earlier this month sparked concerns about workplace bullying in government agencies.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) will bring together relevant agencies to discuss the introduction of mental health leave for public servants, Lin said during a Presidential Office health committee meeting, noting that the issue of public servants' mental health has recently come under close scrutiny.

MOHW will also assist other government agencies in providing better mental health support to public servants, particularly those with easier access to weapons that can be used for self-harm, such as military and law enforcement personnel, Lin added.

Her comments came after the body of a 39-year-old MOL employee surnamed Wu (吳) was found at the Executive Yuan's Xinzhuang Joint Office Tower in New Taipei on Nov. 4, prompting widespread speculation that the public servant had taken his own life after being bullied by his supervisor.

The supervisor, Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), has since been removed from her post as head of the Workforce Development Agency's New Taipei Office and is now under investigation by prosecutors in the city.

This case not only led to the resignation of the former Labor Minister Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) but has also triggered a number of accusations of workplace bullying in different government agencies.

The plan to introduce mental health leave for public servants is part of the government's broader efforts to promote mental well-being across all age groups in Taiwan, Lin said, noting that similar measures were introduced in high schools and some universities earlier this year.

Lin cited MOHW data as saying depression and other mental illnesses were the leading causes of suicide attempts in the country between 2018 and 2023, adding that the ministry's goal was to reduce Taiwan's age-standardized suicide mortality rate by 5 per thousand by 2028 compared to the 2023 level.

According to figures from the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, a total of 3,898 people committed suicide in Taiwan in 2023, which represents an age-standardized suicide mortality rate of 12.7 per thousand.

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), who presides over the Presidential Office's Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee, also pledged to dedicate more government resources to the field of mental well-being as people live in a rapidly-changing and fast-paced society.

"We still have a lot of room for improvement," Lai said, adding that the government will collaborate with the private sector in efforts to attend to those in need.

The health committee is one of the three committees established under the Presidential Office in June to serve as policy advisory groups, with ideas and suggestions made during its meetings referred to different Cabinet-level agencies for further planning and implementation.

The committee consists of government officials, scholars and representatives of businesses and civil society groups.