How to Provide a Work Environment that is Safe, Empowering, and Satisfying?

 

With the growth of the concept of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the workplace, the cases of sexual harassment have also increased manifold over some time. Besides the implementation of various measures to prevent such acts, there’s no halt to this growing nuisance in society.

 

Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Training has been introduced as a major tool for creating awareness among employees and co-workers at the workplace aiming to provide a safe and healthy work environment, empowering, and satisfying.

 

The PoS Harassment act mandates the Formation of an ICC in companies:

• Attractive and detailed content on PoSH Law
• Good knowledge of the PoSH Act and sexual assault.
• Growth of safe workplace culture
• Higher work efficiency due to the safe workplace environment

 

Workplace Harassment

 

Workplace harassment is endless, yet it is hardly discussed frankly in most offices. Sexual Harassment at work builds an unhealthy and harmful working environment. Because people are sceptical of what constitutes workplace harassment, the maximum number of incidents goes unreported and unnoticed. Sexual Harassment in the workplace pertains to threatening behaviour or offensive behaviour against a group or a single employee.

 

Sexual harassment includes the following instances:

 

• Physical comment, abuse or instances.
• Pressure for any sort of sexual favour for advancement or other industry processes.
• Sexually coloured remarks.
• Promoting pornography in the workplace.
• Sexual conduct – verbal, non-verbal or sexual.

 

Filing a Complaint

 

The scenario of workplaces has changed completely. The PoSH harassment Act or the PoSH Act is one such example. India has progressed as a nation, encompassing the economic policies, organizations and workplaces. It has encouraged a healthy work environment that is driven solely by talent, merit and discard all sort of discrimination and biases. 

 

The victim must file a complaint to the Internal Committee(IC) of the workplace. The grievance must be filed in writing. The writing must be done within three months from the time of the happening or misconduct. If there are many instances of sexual abuse, it must be documented at least three months from the last date the sexual harassment had happened. 

 

If she has been unable to file the complaint due to mental or physical inability, or death in an extreme situation, her legal heir, relative, friend or co-worker can make the complaint on her behalf. A complaint cannot be anonymous under the PoSH Act. However, a workplace can give consent to file a complaint with anonymity. This will safeguard the image of the victim.

 

The complaint must be finalized by the Internal Committee within 90 days of the complaint being filed.

 

Final Words

 

The growth of India to increase its endeavours to secure the rights of citizens, particularly women has given rise to a big change. Sexual abuse shatters the confidence of a person. It breaks the morale to carry on any trade, profession, or business. 

The PoS Harassment training aims to create a safe and secure environment for everyone by prohibiting instances of sexual assault at the workplace in India. It proposes that sexual abuse infringes the fundamental rights of a person, especially women. It focuses on IC (Intern Committee). It also empowers the local committee.