Dear Members,
This attachment talks about: In India, it has been only six years since sexual harassment was for the first time recognized by The Supreme Court as a human rights violation and gender-based systemic discrimination that affects women's Right to Life and Livelihood. The Court defined sexual harassment very clearly as well as provided guidelines for employers to redress and prevent sexual harassment at the workplace.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY
I. Adopting Sexual Harassment Policy:
What should be included in an anti-harassment policy? A basic policy should set forth the following:
- An express commitment to eradicate and prevent sexual harassment and express prohibition of sexual harassment;
- A definition of sexual harassment including both quid pro quo and hostile work environment giving examples;
- An explanation of penalties (including termination) the employer will impose for substantiated sexual harassment conduct;
- A detailed outline of the grievance procedure employees should use;
- A clear statement that anyone found guilty of harassment after investigation will be subject to immediate and appropriate disciplinary action;
- A clear understanding and strict rules regarding harassment of or by third parties like clients, customers, etc.;
- Additional resources or contact persons available for support and consultation;
- An express commitment to keep all sexual harassment complaints and procedures confidential and time-bound;
- Provisions for training of employees at all levels;
- An anti-retaliation policy providing protection against retaliation to complainants, witnesses, Complaints Committee members, and other employees involved in prevention and complaints resolution.
Policies and procedures should be adopted after consultation or negotiation with employee representatives. Experience suggests that strategies to create and maintain a working environment in which the dignity of employees is respected are most likely to be effective where they are jointly agreed.
Regards,
Chennai Ibrahim
From India, Hyderabad
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35This attachment talks about: In India, it has been only six years since sexual harassment was for the first time recognized by The Supreme Court as a human rights violation and gender-based systemic discrimination that affects women's Right to Life and Livelihood. The Court defined sexual harassment very clearly as well as provided guidelines for employers to redress and prevent sexual harassment at the workplace.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY
I. Adopting Sexual Harassment Policy:
What should be included in an anti-harassment policy? A basic policy should set forth the following:
- An express commitment to eradicate and prevent sexual harassment and express prohibition of sexual harassment;
- A definition of sexual harassment including both quid pro quo and hostile work environment giving examples;
- An explanation of penalties (including termination) the employer will impose for substantiated sexual harassment conduct;
- A detailed outline of the grievance procedure employees should use;
- A clear statement that anyone found guilty of harassment after investigation will be subject to immediate and appropriate disciplinary action;
- A clear understanding and strict rules regarding harassment of or by third parties like clients, customers, etc.;
- Additional resources or contact persons available for support and consultation;
- An express commitment to keep all sexual harassment complaints and procedures confidential and time-bound;
- Provisions for training of employees at all levels;
- An anti-retaliation policy providing protection against retaliation to complainants, witnesses, Complaints Committee members, and other employees involved in prevention and complaints resolution.
Policies and procedures should be adopted after consultation or negotiation with employee representatives. Experience suggests that strategies to create and maintain a working environment in which the dignity of employees is respected are most likely to be effective where they are jointly agreed.
Regards,
Chennai Ibrahim
From India, Hyderabad
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Dear Mr. Ibrahim,
This is an excellent post, but we should agree that the level of awareness regarding the Sexual Harassment Committee is very low. It is not surprising that many companies either do not have or do not adhere to these guidelines.
Meraj
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This is an excellent post, but we should agree that the level of awareness regarding the Sexual Harassment Committee is very low. It is not surprising that many companies either do not have or do not adhere to these guidelines.
Meraj
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But what if a male employee is harassed to the point of considering withdrawal from the job because he refused to provide some form of entertainment? I don't want to disclose the specifics of the incident, but I believe the sentence itself indicates the type of entertainment he may have been asked to provide. Can anyone shed light on this aspect further?
From India, Jaipur
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From India, Jaipur
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The Supreme Court guidelines and The Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Prevention and Redressal) Bill, 2004 (later revised in 2006) have made it explicit that it is mandatory on the part of an employer to ensure an environment free from the threat of any kind of sexual harassment and exploitation.
The Supreme Court has mandated every organization to have a committee to address incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace. However, a committee alone will not solve the issue in its entirety, as its presence does not address the issue from the roots. Organizations need to think of a series of steps to address this phenomenon in its varied dimensions. In this context, having a Policy Against Sexual Harassment will be useful in developing a strategy to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace.
Sexual harassment at the workplace, schools, colleges, parties, travel, roads, etc., is very common news that we hear the most. Most people are not aware of sexual harassment, and it is very important to make them aware. This will help us to decrease the occurrence of sexual harassment. Through the help of Pria's (NGO) website, we can learn a lot about sexual harassment. It's my personal experience that this website helps girls a lot, and we can share our views and queries with others in its forum.
From India, Delhi
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The Supreme Court has mandated every organization to have a committee to address incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace. However, a committee alone will not solve the issue in its entirety, as its presence does not address the issue from the roots. Organizations need to think of a series of steps to address this phenomenon in its varied dimensions. In this context, having a Policy Against Sexual Harassment will be useful in developing a strategy to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace.
Sexual harassment at the workplace, schools, colleges, parties, travel, roads, etc., is very common news that we hear the most. Most people are not aware of sexual harassment, and it is very important to make them aware. This will help us to decrease the occurrence of sexual harassment. Through the help of Pria's (NGO) website, we can learn a lot about sexual harassment. It's my personal experience that this website helps girls a lot, and we can share our views and queries with others in its forum.
From India, Delhi
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I have read many sexual harassment cases and acts on this forum, so I thought to share some information. I recently heard of a committee named the Shaurya Committee, which promotes awareness about the Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace in India. They help employers take necessary actions to prevent and prohibit sexual harassment within their establishments. In the unfortunate event of any incident, they take necessary redressal actions as mandated by "The Sexual Harassment (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) of Women at Workplace 2013 Act." Let's educate them. Here is their number: [Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act 2013.pdf