Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace – KelpHR & ILA Webinar Series
Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) — we all claim to know what this is about, and so this is a niggling question in everyone’s mind. Why does the messaging have to be reinforced?
In actuality, PoSH isn’t just a one-time affair. Why? Let’s take a closer look at our own country India. It is a diverse nation with a slew of different cultures. Each has its peculiar mannerisms and...
7 Years of the Sexual Harassment Law in India – What has Changed ?
’10 Judgements that changed India’ by Zia Mody has a chapter titled ‘All in a day’s work’ outlining the then seminal judgement on the issue of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace. Originally published in 2013, Mody talks about the Vishaka Guidelines as a judgement that had enormous value and power to change the way we looked at a nation at its threshold of change. At the time that...
Importance of Confidentiality as Sexual Harassment Inquiries go Virtual
Ensuring confidentiality is sacrosanct in an inquiry whether it is conducted while ‘Work from Home (WFH)’ or at the office.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has prematurely killed the debate on the kind of work that can be executed from the confines of the home, now, more than ever, there is a greater obligation to maintain confidentiality, in principle as well as via physically securing the WFH area...
Instituting a Competent Internal Committee
Rupa, an HR Manager, was winding up her work for the day, when she received an unexpected call from the Head-HR, Arka. Arka asked Rupa to accompany him to a branch office the next day, as part of the Internal Complaints Committee (IC), as an allegation of sexual harassment against the Branch Head required an IC member unfamiliar with both parties. Arka instructed Rupa to maintain strict...
Being Compliant with the PoSH Law is just the Beginning
Consultants who guide organizations to comply with the ‘Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013’ tend to hear similar questions from clients. Clients often ask at the end of an assignment – ‘So, are we all set now? Is there anything else we need to do from our side?’ These questions stem from not wanting to fall short in their...
What if the witness refuses to speak in an Internal Committee inquiry?
Problem Statement:
As per CCTV evidence and the victim’s statements a witness was present when the incident occurred. But the witness feigns ignorance. This witness’s testimony is very crucial to the case. As an IC member, is there any action that can be taken?
Witness’s Right to silence.
The Constitution of India guarantees every person right against self-incrimination under Article 20...
If You are a Victim, how to deal with SEXUAL HARASSMENT !!!
If you are victim, how to deal with Sexual Harassment:
In my workshops, this is one of the most common question that people ask me. Not in the crowd but during the breaks or at the end of the session as an offline question, listing some of the common tips as below.
• Make it clear to the harasser that you consider the behaviour as harassment.
• Say a firm ‘NO’ and tell the person...
Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, 2013 : Role of Internal Committee at the Workplace
As per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, the role of the Internal Committee (IC) is defined as below: Shall provide assistance to the victim to make the complaint in writing.
Complaints need to be filed within 3 months from the last incident occurrence date. IC may extend the time limit by another 3 months.
Before initiating an...
HR’s Dilemma on Sexual Harassment Incidents
A prospective client approached us with the below scenario in her organization faced by her employees in the retail outlets across India:
“There are sudden unexpected resignations happening in my organization and especially women folks. On the last day of exit, they speak up after much probing and confess to the actual reason as being sexually harassed by colleagues or managers and hence...
Anti Sexual Harassment – FAQs Demystified!!
KelpHR along with PeopleMatters conducted a webinar on “Tricky cases and best practices while handling Sexual Harassment incidents at workplace” on November 29th 2016. This event was attended by more than 135 participants from across corporate India. Click here to listen to our webinar.
At the end of the webinar, during the Q and A session, we received many relevant queries from the...