The Quebec delegate in Houston, Xin Gao, who has just left office, had established a “toxic” climate since her arrival in Houston in 2021, to the point that the Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie (MRIF) was forced to send a psychologist on site in the summer of 2023 to “optimize” the management of the delegate.
“When I saw the report [du spécialiste en ressources humaines]we agreed that the delegate should be relieved of her duties,” said The Press the Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie (MRIF), Martine Biron, met last Friday on the sidelines of a speech she gave at the Council on International Relations of Montreal (CORIM).
Before arriving in Houston, Mme Gao’s career has primarily been in the federal government. She spent almost 20 years at the Ministry of the Environment. She is also the spouse of Jacques Hudon, former communications director of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ). Mr. Hudon also worked as chief of staff for former Minister of Regional Development Marie-Ève Proulx.
PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE FACEBOOK PAGE OF THE QUEBEC DELEGATION IN HOUSTON
Former Quebec delegate to Houston, Xin Gao (at microphone), during an activity organized by the delegation at the Clean Power conference in New Orleans, in May 2023
The Press collected three testimonies from employees who have worked at the Quebec Delegation in Houston since Mme Gao was appointed there, in June 2021, and spoke to two external sources. The delegation has a total of seven employees. All our sources asked to speak anonymously about this situation, since open testimony could jeopardize their jobs or future careers.
An altercation during a meeting
Upon his arrival at the delegation, one of these sources, whom we will call AB, immediately perceived that the atmosphere was very heavy in his new working environment. “I saw that there were things that were wrong, that my colleagues were wrong. People were distant, suspicious, they didn’t want to talk too much. In fact, no one wanted to talk to me. I didn’t really know what was going on. I found them almost depressive. »
During a private meeting with AB, Mme Gao put the whole team through the mincer. “It created a strange atmosphere,” says our source. She tried to do this with everyone. She said a coworker had complained about me, that was completely untrue. »
And then, a few weeks after his arrival, an altercation occurred during a meeting. The delegate attacked an employee in front of all the staff. “She absolutely bullied her in front of everyone. And she continued until the person broke down. That’s when I said, no, that’s not right. Nobody reacted. It was complete silence. She alone spoke to criticize the other. »
“Humiliating and demeaning behavior”
It frequently happened that Mme Gao attacks employees, belittles them, tries to pit them against each other, testify two other sources who worked in the delegation. The atmosphere was absolutely “unhealthy”, relates one of these sources, which we will call C. D.
“She could behave in a humiliating and belittling way,” says CD Couper la parole in the office, during performances. She contradicted, said that certain people were incompetent, completely gratuitously. »
[Xin Gao] initiated toxic behavior. I witnessed several people crying as they left his office. She could give an employee no tasks for several weeks, which could affect their morale.
C. D., employee who worked alongside Xin Gao
“The problem is a lot of manipulation, triangulation,” explains a third source, whom we will call EF. She tries to divide people, to create conflicts in order to rule better. »
To do this, Mme Gao could take away responsibilities from certain employees she didn’t like in their absence. “She could decide that an employee was no longer responsible for his sector,” continues EF, “and ask another colleague to take over his responsibilities. It was like punishing him. »
At our request, a senior manager of an organization that works in partnership with the Quebec Delegation in Houston asked questions to his employees who were in direct contact with Mr.me Gao. The latter confirmed “that there was no smoke without fire” and that they had indeed witnessed denigration on the part of M.me Gao towards employees of the delegation.
Another person, the one who informed The Press of the situation at the Quebec Delegation in Houston, was keen to comment on the matter. “We must denounce a toxic work climate and leaders who perpetuate a leadership approach from the past which has absolutely no reason to exist today: arrogance, abuse of power, balance of power, intimidation, climate of fear. It is important to do this to allow young people, in particular, to realize themselves as human beings in their professional environment rather than leaving with psychological after-effects. »
Difficult relationships
The delegate also acted in a cavalier manner with the partners, testify A. B. and E. F. “We put together a file for an activity, we are towards the end and she arrives, she turns everything upside down. » One of these files involved a private organization. The delegate wanted to impose a considerably different program on this organization.
They were so disturbed by [l’]attitude [de Xin Gao] that they said: we stop working with Houston. People end up not wanting to do business with us anymore. It creates diplomatic incidents and we are still trying to sort that out.
E. F., employee who worked alongside Xin Gao
During an interview with academics, the delegate acted in a contemptuous manner, recalls A. B. “She never stopped denigrating them. It ended several relationships. »
The Press joined several employees of Quebec government organizations who have recently been in contact with the Houston delegation. All declined our request for an interview or did not respond to it.
We have joined Mme Gao to get his point of view on this whole issue. She declined our interview request, directing us to a publication on social networks where she gives a very positive assessment of her time at the head of the delegation.
“I express my deepest gratitude to everyone on our team,” she wrote on LinkedIn. The important preparatory work that we have carried out over the past three years will contribute to long-term economic prosperity and abundant harvests for Quebec. »
A psychologist dispatched to the site
According to our sources, at least four employees alerted the Ministry’s human resources department of the situation in Houston. “They told me thank you for bringing this up, they said I wasn’t the first, they were happy to have the testimony of a new person,” says AB
The MRIF confirmed to The Press “that situations have been reported”. The Ministry, however, refuses to specify its nature. “Rest assured that the necessary means have been deployed to ensure that our employees benefit from a healthy working climate. »
“In accordance with good practices, the Ministry ensures that it acts on any reported difficult relationship situation,” adds Ministry spokesperson Camille Jobin. The Ministry ended up sending a work psychologist to the delegation in the summer of 2023. “Following in particular the enhancement of its status as a delegation office,” explains Mme Jobin, the Ministry deemed it necessary to take action, including using external support services in order to optimize certain elements of representation management. »
A report was produced, but the Ministry refused to provide it to The Press. The mandate of the expert mandated by the MRIF extended over six months and cost $31,000.
In the fall of 2023, the employees had “lost hope”, summarized AB After meeting the delegate and the entire delegation team, the psychologist should in theory submit his report at the end of the summer. However, late in the fall, employees had not yet received any follow-up.
However, in February, after The Press had asked several questions to the MRIF about Mme Gao, the delegate ended up leaving her post. On February 14, she was replaced by Frédéric Tremblay, who was notably director of the Quebec Office in Washington and Los Angeles.
In an interview, Minister Martine Biron noted that in addition to the psychologist’s report, the moment was propitious for a change of leadership at the head of the Quebec Delegation in Houston. “For us, Houston is a delegation whose exchanges are increasing. We knew that we had to take the delegation to another level and that the delegate who was in place did not have the profile to carry out our objectives and our ambitions. The planets have aligned. I was in this thinking [sur la croissance de la représentation à Houston]. When the report [du psychologue] arrived, the timing was good,” says the minister.
Precedents
This is not the first time that a tense work climate within a Quebec representation abroad has attracted attention. In 2020, less than a year after her arrival at the head of the General Delegation of Quebec in Dakar, former MP Fatima Houda-Pépin was dismissed from her position. Employees had denounced a “deleterious climate” within the delegation. Minister Martine Biron is very aware of the vulnerability of Quebec employees who are stationed abroad. “You have to stay connected. It is not for nothing that I visit our representations. I meet our partners, I make political contacts, but I also see how things are going when I enter the offices,” she adds.
Learn more
-
- 36
- Number of Quebec representations abroad (in 19 countries, including 10 in the United States)
source: ministry of international relations and la francophonie