Navigating the Annual Report for Workplace Sexual Harassment: Questions and Experiences Needed

In relation to the newly notified Act - Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 with Rules, I have a few queries regarding the Annual Report mentioned therein:

1. Will the report be addressed to the Board of Directors in the case of a company or the Principal Employer designated under S&E for the related premises?

2. Do we simply put numbers/comments against each point mentioned therein, or does anyone have a better draft for this purpose? Please share that format.

3. Is there a specific due date by which this report needs to be submitted to the Employer and District Officer?

4. Is there a clear indication of whom we need to submit this report to as the District Officer (District Magistrate, Additional Magistrate, Collector, or Deputy Collector) for establishments in Gurgaon?

5. If any other member has faced any practical problems or has suggestions on this matter, kindly share your experiences and advice.

Thanks and regards,
Swati Saxena

Annual Reports Submission Requirements

There are two different annual reports that need to be submitted:

1. By the ICC
2. By the Employer in its Annual Report

In the case of the Employer, like in the case of a Registered Company which submits its annual report to the RoC, the only thing that needs to be mentioned is the number of cases filed and the number of disposals in the Annual Report itself. In other cases where there is no requirement of filing Annual Reports, the same information needs to be sent to the District Officer.

Detailed Reporting by the ICC

In the case of the ICC, they have to file a more detailed list of information which is mandatory:

- Number of sexual harassment complaints received in a year
- Number of complaints disposed of in a year
- Number of cases pending for more than 90 days
- Number of awareness programs or workshops against sexual harassment conducted in a year
- Nature of action taken by the employer or district officer with respect to the cases

Answers to Your Questions

1. As the ICC needs to be formed for each branch office, the report needs to be addressed to the "employer" (i.e., the person who is the head of that unit, may be Branch Manager, Branch Head, or as the appropriate person).

2. The report by the ICC needs to be prepared for a particular calendar year (i.e., from 01 January 201x to 31 December 201x). However, the due dates have not been notified till now.

3. You may make a query with the District Magistrate office in Gurgaon in this regard.

Regards.