PREVENTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORKPLACE

Bills and laws regarding sexual harassment may finally be getting much-needed exposure to the public eye in recent years, but instances of sexual harassment have plagued women for decades in various personal as well as professional settings with little or no means for quick redressal.

In the past, one of the two major reasons that women hesitated to voice out their grievances was the uncertainty of what constitutes sexual harassment and what could be interpreted as playful banter or a harmless touch. However, a good rule of thumb is that if someone is making you feel uncomfortable through their behaviour, whether verbally, through their gestures or body language or any other unwelcome act of a sexual nature, you are well within your rights to report it. But this brings us to the second and more pertinent reason people don’t step up: where do I go to report it, and will action be taken swiftly and seriously?

In many cases, the stigma of reporting such instances, the second level of harassment faced by those who do, and the red-tape surrounding the entire process is frustrating for those who step up and reinforces the maintenance of an unfair system. In light of this alarming situation, a significant piece of legislation was passed in 2013 with the hope to address the egregious problem of sexual harassment as well as correct the ineffective system that was in place to deal with it.

This legislation is called The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, also commonly known as the POSH Act. It legally puts in place a wide-ranging set of regulations designed to ensure that a woman can safely operate in a workplace environment that is secure and free from inappropriate advances or behaviour.

Silver Oak Health is now providing POSH services to companies including drafting and reviewing anti-sexual harassment policy, external committee member services, conducting awareness training and workshop and psychological counselling. The psychological impacts of sexual harassment are known to be wide-ranging. It impacts individuals’ physical and emotional feeling of safety, breeds an unhealthy and abusive work environment, can be traumatic for any employee and is likely to negatively impact their performance at work, their psychological well-being and impede their career growth. Trained counsellors are equipped to help individuals cope with their experiences and handle challenges borne out of these like stress, anxiety and depression.

Every employer should strive to create a safe and non-toxic working environment for its people. While complying with the POSH Act is essential in letter and in spirit as indeed there is a heavy legal cost to bear for non-compliance, any organization’s first priority should be the safety and well-being of its workers. Promoting a culture that encourages transparency, taking sexual harassment reports seriously and providing a fair, safe and secure workspace for our all employees is the least we could be doing.

author: Advocate Aprajita Vatsa

POSH Advisor & External Committee Member

Aprajita Vatsa is a full-time POSH Advisor at Silver Oak Health. She is committed to the cause of harassment-free workplaces. A registered advocate since 2020, with a B.A.LL.B from Savitribai Phule Pune University, she brings three years of legal expertise, specializing in POSH compliance, training, and intervention.