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10 Red Flags in Your Internal Committee (IC) You Can’t Ignore

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Marketing Kelp

In 2026, the Internal Committee (IC) is the heart of a safe company. It is the group of people responsible for listening to complaints and making sure justice is served. However, just having an IC on paper is not enough. Sometimes, the committee itself can have problems. If your IC is not working correctly it can lead to legal trouble and more importantly it can make your employees feel unsafe. 

While all this is happening, many companies ignore small red flags (warning signs) until a big problem occurs. At Kelp, we want to help you spot these signs early. 

Here are 10 red flags in your Internal Committee that you simply cannot ignore. 

 

  1. No External Member

     

By law, every IC must have one External Member someone who does not work for your company. This person is usually a lawyer or a social worker. 

  • The Red Flag: If your IC only consists of your own employees, it is illegal. 
  • Why it matters: An external member brings a fair, unbiased view and ensures the company doesn’t just protect its own. 

  1. The Chairperson is Not a Woman

     

The PoSH Act is very clear the head of the IC the Chairperson must be a woman in a senior position. 

  • The Red Flag: If a man is leading the committee, or a very junior female employee is made the head just to fill the spot, your IC is not compliant. 

  1. Meetings Never Happen

     

An IC should meet at least once every three months, even if there are no active complaints. 

  • The Red Flag: If your IC hasn’t met in six months or a year, they aren’t prepared for when a real crisis hits. 

  1. Lack of Training

     

IC members are not born with the skills to handle sensitive harassment cases. They need special training on how to interview people and write reports. 

  • The Red Flag: If your IC members say, I don’t know the latest 2025 rules, or I don’t know how to start an inquiry, they need immediate training. 

  1. Coffee Shop Decisions

     

Sometimes, IC members discuss cases informally over lunch or coffee instead of following a formal process. 

  • The Red Flag: If there are no written minutes (notes) of meetings or no formal attendance sheets, the decisions can be challenged in court. 

  1. Bias or Side-Taking

     

The IC must be like a judge neutral and fair. 

  • The Red Flag: If an IC member says things like, He’s a top performer, he wouldn’t do this, or Why was she out so late? they are biased. This is a major sign that the committee is failing. 

  1. Fear of the Big Boss

     

In many startups, the IC is afraid to investigate a founder or a senior manager. 

  • The Red Flag: If the IC stops an investigation because the person involved is too important for the company, the IC is useless. 

  1. Breaking Confidentiality

     

Whatever is said in an IC room must stay in that room. 

  • The Red Flag: If the whole office knows who filed a complaint or what was discussed, the IC has failed. This stops other victims from ever coming forward. 

  1. Delaying the Process

     

The law gives the IC 90 days to finish an inquiry. 

  • The Red Flag: If a case is dragging on for 4 or 5 months without a very good reason, the IC is not doing its job. Justice delayed is justice denied. 

  1. No Annual Report Filing

     

Every year, the IC must submit a report to the government. 

  • The Red Flag: If your company hasn’t filed its Annual PoSH Report in the last two years, you are at risk of heavy fines and losing your business license in 2026. 

 

IC Health Check: Is Your Committee Safe? 

Feature Healthy IC  Red Flag IC  
Membership Has a qualified External Member. Only internal employees. 
Leadership Senior woman as Chairperson. Managed by HR or a Male Lead. 
Knowledge Knows the 2025-26 legal updates. Relies on common sense only. 
Records Proper files and meeting minutes. Everything is verbal or informal. 
Speed Finishes inquiries within 90 days. Cases take 6+ months to close. 

 

Conclusion 

A Red Flag is a warning. If you see these signs in your company, it doesn’t mean you have failed it means you need to act now. At Kelp, we help companies fix their ICs by providing External Member services, conducting IC Capacity Building workshops, and auditing your PoSH records to make sure you are 100% safe. An effective IC is the best way to prove that your company truly cares about its employe.

Ready-to-use PoSH Compliance Kit for Startups, MSME’s and smaller companies

If you’re a small organisation trying to implement PoSH compliance without an HR team or the necessary resources, we’ve made it simpler. Our PoSH Compliance Kit brings together everything you need in one ready-to-use package – so you can put the right processes in place without starting from scratch.

Get your PoSH Compliance Kit – Buy now 

For more details and to speak to our team, connect with us at +91-95001-29652, email info@kelphr.com

About Kelp

Kelp helps organisations build safe, happy and inclusive workplaces through practical solutions across PoSH, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), and Employee Well-being. From compliance and training (both in person and e-learning) to culture-building and employee support, we partner with organisations to create workplaces where people feel safe, respected and empowered to thrive.

Looking to build a better workplace? Connect with Kelp at +91-95001-29652, email info@kelphr.com to explore how we can help.

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Gomathi Venkatasubramanian

Head – Client Relations

Gomathi Venkatasubramanian is a seasoned client relations and strategy leader with over nine years of experience in sales, client engagement, and conflict resolution. As the Head of Client Relations, Gomathi and her team ensure that every Kelp client enjoys excellence in service delivery and engagement.  With her vast product knowledge, Gomathi takes pride in being able to go beyond the call to action and provide innovative solutions and services to clients that align with their people and business goals.

Prior to Kelp, Gomathi worked with organizations across the sales and presales cycles thereby acquiring a deep understanding of the process and how to shift from a sales to a solutions mindset.  That has helped her in honing her unique style in building client relations and trust.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Gomathi enjoys traveling and exploring new destinations, embracing different cultures and perspectives. She also finds solace in Indian music, which serves as a source of relaxation and inspiration.

 

Navneet Chugh

Director & Entrepreneur

Navneet, Managing Partner of Chugh LLP, offers global legal and tax services with 575 employees. An Attorney, CPA, and MBA from USC, he founded SABA and TiE Southern California and serves on multiple boards globally.

Bhaskaran MR

Director & Entrepreneur

Baskaran Rajaraman is an entrepreneur with interests in real estate, healthcare, and eCommerce. He has previously consulted with Krossark, Citrisys, Booz Allen, and Hamilton, and Polaris on BFSI, eCommerce, and logistics.

Manju Manocha

Head - Business Development

Manju, Head of Business Development at Kelp, drives sales strategy and growth. An HR expert with a master’s in Personnel Management, she has worked with Mphasis, BMC, Syntel, and WNS.

Smita Mukharjee

Head – DEI Center of Excellence

Smita is a dynamic and experienced DEI and Learning Consultant with a unique blend of academic expertise and practical application. With an MBA from the University of Mumbai and an M.Phil from the esteemed Tata Institute of Social Sciences, she is currently pursuing a PhD.

Smita brings with her over a decade and a half of experience across both academia and corporate training and has helped shape the learning journeys of professionals across industries. Her expertise spans human behaviour, training and development, research, and organizational diagnostics. Smita’s research has been showcased at prestigious institutions, including IIM Indore, IIM Bangalore, IIM Trichy, and Nirma University..

Passionate about fostering diversity and inclusion, Smita brings an engaging approach to training, blending research-driven insights with interactive methodologies. Beyond her professional commitments, she enjoys exploring new cultures and perspectives through travel, always seeking to broaden her understanding of the world.

Damu

Chief Information Officer

Damu has over 3 decades of Global IT Industry experience. He has held leadership positions handling Delivery, Operations and P&L for large portfolios. He is passionate about Technology and leads the CIO and COO functions at Kelp and is driving it towards becoming a HR-Tech company. He is instrumental in bringing AI adoption to various parts of the business to improve productivity and quality of delivery.

Damu has an Engineering Degree in Computer Science, a Six Sigma Black Belt and has multiple awards to his credit, including Mphasian of the Year.

Elango R

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Elango, Global CHRO and Business Head at MphasiS, grew the company from $12 million to over a billion. He led key integrations, integrated CSR practices, and has held leadership roles at Raheja Group, UB Group, and Bank of America.

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Deepa Padmanaban

Head – Learning Solutions and PoSH Center of Excellence

Deepa, an MBA and Certified PoSH trainer, excels in client experience and HR. At Kelp, she fosters inclusivity through collaboration. Passionate about singing and voice artistry, she also announces for All India Radio.