Organisations are increasingly adopting POSH Compliance policies to prevent and address sexual harassment at workplace. A POSH policy is a comprehensive document that lists out the organisation's stance on sexual harassment, procedures for reporting and investigating complaints, and mechanisms for providing support to employees who have experienced sexual harassment.
Employees should be aware of their organisation's POSH policy and familiarise themselves with the procedures for making a complaint. If you experience sexual harassment at work, or witness it happening to someone else, it is important to report it immediately. Your organisation's POSH policy will outline the specific steps to take in reporting an incident.
Once a complaint has been made, the organisation will investigate the matter and take appropriate disciplinary action against the perpetrator, if found guilty. The victim of sexual harassment will also be provided with support and counselling, if needed. It is important for organisations to have a POSH policy in place to create a safe and respectful working environment for all employees. If you are ever unsure about how to handle a situation involving sexual harassment at work, always refer back to your organisation's POSH policy for guidance.
POSH Act 2013
The Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, 2013 is an important piece of legislation that seeks to protect women from sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment has long been a pervasive issue in India, and the POSH Act, 2013 was introduced in response to the growing recognition of this problem.
To ensure that the provisions of the Act are implemented effectively, every employer is required to establish an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to receive complaints of sexual harassment and to ensure that a safe and non-discriminatory working environment is maintained for all employees. The ICC is required to conduct an inquiry into complaints and submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the employer.
In addition, the POSH Act mandates that employers provide regular training to their employees on the prevention of sexual harassment and on the procedure for making complaints. This is an important step towards creating a safe and harassment-free workplace for women in India.