Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act / POSH Act enacted in 2013 by the Government of India is a major step towards preventing any form of misconduct towards women based on gender in the workplace.
Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act (POSH Act) clearly lays down the various steps an organization should take to create a safe workplace for women. Unfortunately, we see many organizations struggling to fully implement the measures prescribed by the Act. This may probably be because of the lack of awareness about the legalities and procedures involved to stay compliant with the Act.
POST Act mandates that an organization should implement the following steps to stay compliant:
Step 1: Draft an organizational policy on Prevention of sexual harassment (POSH Policy).
Step 2: Change employment contract to reflect organization POSH policy.
Step 3: Constitute an Internal Committee (IC) to handle complaints regarding sexual harassment.
Step 4: Create awareness among employees on their rights and responsibilities towards creating a safe workplace.
Step 5: Submit Annual Report on POSH Compliance.