Dear Guidance-Seeker & All Concerned,
Guidance Sought: --“Please guide me to make SOP of Internal Complaints Committee—“.
Guidance from Kritarth Team: First thing First; As per the Amendment Gazetted on 9th May 2016, the Word/Expression "Complaints", wherever it occurs, stands deleted. Accordingly, the erstwhile ICC (Internal Complaints Committee) is now known as and referred to as IC (Internal Committee), Wherever so constituted by the Employer under Section-4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women (P, P & R) Act 2013.
We welcome your Employer's/Managment Initiative to provide all reasonable assistance to the IC to frame certain SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for their own effective Functioning. The IC (Internal Committee) is an Independent Legal Entity, not Supervised by anyone, external to itself, nor reports to the Employer/others excepting the Laws of the Land. Hence, Let the IC Members self-design, adopt and practice the Guidelines/SOPs so designed by the IC.
To help the IC Members to become capable to Self-Govern itself, with their own Guidelines/SOPs as it were, the SHWW (P, P&R) Act 2013, has made it Mandatory for Every Employer to organize Orientation Program for the IC so that the IC Members (Minimum Four) would come to know their Legal Duties, Responsibilities, and Role (nearly 25 of them) and File an Annual Report before the District Officer that such Programs have been actually Organized for the IC Members (Section-21 of SHWW Act 2013).
Another Program for the IC Members is Capacity & Skills Building Program to be Mandatorily Organized by Every Employer and Action Taken Report Filed before the District Officer by the IC Presiding Officer.
Th e aforesaid Amendment is Significant, Revolutionary, Cutting-edge and innovative because it restores the "True Original Purpose" "True Intent" of the Law Makers who intended that the Internal Committee - an independent Legal Entity in its own capacity - discharges its Duty of Co-creating a Safe and Secure Workplace Environment Where No Woman Shall Be Subjected to Sexual Harassment" and That her Fundamental Rights (Article 14,15, 21) to Life with Dignity, Equality before the Law and Earn her Livelihood is Upheld, Protected as Guaranteed by the Constitution of India.
Let us all at our respective Workplaces, faithfully and properly, Discharge our Fundamental Duties enshrined in Article 51 A (e) which reads... to renounce Practices derogatory to the Dignity of Women"
Kritarth Team of Special Educators and IC Member (External) is forever willing and ready to Offer any Assistance, Guidance and Help To Employer and IC Members.
Kritarth Team,
5th June 2018
--