sexual harrassment at workplace

7/23/2019 sexual harrassment at workplace

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Prevention of Sexual

Harassmentat

Workplace in IndiaK Rajasekharan

Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)

Email: [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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The tatutes on !re"ention of e#ual$arassment

The e#ual $arassment of %omen at%ork&lace ( !re"ention ' !rohiition andRedressal) Act *1+ ,

The e#ual $arassment of %omen at%ork&lace ( !re"ention ' !rohiition andRedressal) Rules *1+

The la- re&laced the ishaka /uidelines100 of the u&reme 2ourt


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Timeline of the La-

Lok aha initiall3 &assed the ill' -ith nodeate' on +rde& *1

Raj3a aha &assed it on 4th5eruar3 *1+

Lok aha a6ain &assed it -ith minor chan6eson 11th7arch *1+

The ill 6ot !resident8s assent on A&ril *1+

The Rules *1+' -ere issued on 0 9ecemer

*1+ The act and rules' as the 6o"ernment notied'

came into force on 0th 9ec *1+

+


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!recise ;ject of the La-


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%hat 2onstitutes e#ual $arassment

It includes un-elcome se#ual eha"ior of direct orim&lied nature such as:

!h3sical contact , ad"ances

Re>uest for se#ual fa"ours

e#uall3 colored remarks ho-in6 &orno6ra&h3 ,

un-elcome &h3sical' "eral or non?"eral se#ualconduct

If the com&lainant had -elcomed the res&ondent8sconduct' the incident cannot fall under se#ualharassment


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Essential In6redients of e#ual$arassment

7ust e

un-elcome

e#ual innature

7ust occurat %ork&lace

4


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5ile 2riminal 2ase for 2riminal$arassment

This LawProvides a Civil

RemedyIf the Harassmentis Criminal !ile a

Complaint with thePolice for action

under IPC "#$ %#&'


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arrin6 of 2ourts


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Kinds of %ork&lace $arassment

$ostile%ork

En"ironme

nt

Quid ProQuo

En"ironmen

t

0


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$ostile %ork En"ironment means

2reatin6 an intimidatin6 -ork en"ironment, humiliatin6 treatment that aBecthealthsafet3 of -oman

A &er"asi"e se#ual harassment that makesthe -ork en"ironment FhostileF

The se#ist remarks' dis&la3 of &orno6ra&h3or se#istoscene 6raCti' &h3sicalcontactrushin6 a6ainst -omen createhostile work environment

1*


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Quid Pro Quoe#ual $arassment means

Im&liede#&licit &romise of &referentialtreatment in jo

threat of detrimental nature , threat to jo

se#ual fa"ours or ad"ances in e#chan6e forenets

Gsin6 a se#uall3 e#&licit eha"iour or s&eechas a condition for &ro"idin6 em&lo3ment

An3 retaliator3 action such as dismissal'demotion' diCcult -ork conditions on arefusal to com&l3 -ith a Fre>uestF

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H%ork&lace8 means

or6aniations' de&artments' institutions' oCce'ranch unit etc. in the &ulic&ri"ate sector'oth or6anied and unor6anied'

hos&itals' nursin6 homes' educationalinstitutions' s&orts institutes' stadiums' s&ortscom&le#'


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HEm&lo3er8means

the head or

the &erson res&onsile for formulation ,administration of &olicies of the -ork&lace

the &erson dischar6in6 contractualoli6ations -ith res&ect to hisherem&lo3ees and

5or a domestic -orker' the &erson -hoenets from that em&lo3ment

1+


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Kinds of Em&lo3ees2o"ered

re6ulartem&orar3ad?hocdail3 -a6eem&lo3ees' -hether for remunerationincludin6 "olunteers

2ontractual -orker' &roationer traineea&&rentice etc

1=


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E"er3 %oman at %ork&lace 2o"ered

The act co"ers all -omen

in the or6anised or unor6anised sectors

&ulic or &ri"ate and

clients' customers and domestic -orkers

irres&ecti"e of their a6e or em&lo3mentstatus

1


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Res&onsiilities of the Em&lo3er

To &rohiit se#ual harassment as &art of ser"ice rules To formulate , disseminate a no-harassment

The !olic3 should state -hat constitutes se#ualharassment , the &rocedures to &rocess a com&laint

To &ro"ide safe no?harassment -ork en"ironment To take &re"enti"e measures

To conduct sensitiation &ro6rammes to stakeholders

To declare contact details of the 2om&laint

2ommittee

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te&s Em&lo3ers must Take

!rohiit se#ual harassment , its &enalties inthe rules , &ulicise it

!ri"ate em&lo3ers should include the&rohiition in the standin6 orders under the

Industrial Em&lo3ment (tandin6 ;rders) Act'10=* or its e>ui"alent

!ro"ide -ork conditions in res&ect of -ork'leisure' health and h36iene -ith no hostile

environment to-ards -omen Ensure attendance of the res&ondent for

en>uir3

u&&ort the com&lainant to le criminal &etition1


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Em&lo3er to 6et &unishment for9ereliction

E"er3 em&lo3er should create anen"ironment free from se#ual harassment

An em&lo3er -ill e liale to a ne of Rs

*'*** in case of an3 "iolation of this act In suse>uent "iolations' the amount of

ne -ill 6et douled ,

ma3 lead to cancelation of his license orre6istration of his rm

*


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The 2om&laint 2ommittee to e et u&

It is mandator3 to set u& a 2om&laints2ommittee to deal -ith incidents of se#ualharassment

The committee must e headed 3 a -oman

$alf of its memers should e -omen ,

It should include a third?&art3 re&resentati"efrom an


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;n 2om&laint 2ommittee

T-o kinds of committee for diBerent t3&es ofor6aniation are &ro"ided for in the la-

AnInternal Complaints Committee (I22)' at

least a memer committee at all -ork&lacesem&lo3in6 1* or more -orkers

ALocal Complaints Committee (L22). A "e?memer committee at the district le"el for

handlin6 com&laints from -ork&laces em&lo3in6less than 1* -orkers

%hen the com&laint is a6ainst the em&lo3er' it-ill e handled 3 L22


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A 9omestic -orker can le acom&laint

A domestic -orker is one em&lo3ed forhousehold -ork for remuneration

The3 can a&&roach the L22 in case of an3

com&laint Relati"es of the em&lo3er cannot le a

com&laint

+


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!rocedures for 5ilin6 a 2om&laint

A com&laint shall include 4 co&ies -ithsu&&ortin6 documents

The com&laint committee should send one

co&3 to the res&ondent -ithin -orkin6da3s to 6et a re&l3

The res&ondent has to le his re&l3 -ithin1* -orkin6 da3s

The com&laint committee has to in>uireinto the com&laint' -ith &rinci&les ofnatural justice

=


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;n !re&arin6 a 2om&laint

e s&ecic aout the incident

9on8t make an3 6eneral alle6ations such as theoCcer harassed me.

Tell e#actl3 -hat ha&&ened -ith details' dates'

-itnesses , documents e honest' don8t lie' as the com&lainant can e

sued for l3in6 or false sumission

Also' re>uest -hat the com&lainant -ants like' JI

-ant the head to reassi6n me to a diBerentoCcer

The em&lo3er need not ha"e to acce&t hersu66estion' ut her in&ut -ould e hel&ful


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Time Limit for 5ilin6 a 2om&laint

A com&laint of se#ual harassment needs to eled within " months

The &eriod ma3 e#tend to another + months' in6ra"e circumstances that &re"ented her fromlin6 the com&laint in time

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!ro"ision for 2onciliation

The I22L22 can take ste&s to settle thematter et-een the a66rie"ed -oman ,the res&ondent'

This o&tion -ill e used onlyat the re>uestof the -oman

7onetar3 settlement shall not e the asisof conciliation

If the settlement is not reached' thecom&lainant can 6o ack to the 2ommittee, initiate an in>uir3


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If !rima facie 2riminal 2ase E#ist

If the com&laint discloses a criminaloBence' the committee should &ass on thecom&laint -ithin da3s to the &olice for

criminal action under I!2 2rime can e char6ed under I!2 *0 or

an3 other section as the incident discloses

D


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!eriod of In>uir3 , Action

The 2ommittee is re>uired to com&lete thein>uir3 -ithin 0* da3s

;n com&letion of the in>uir3' the re&ort should

e sent to either the em&lo3er or the 9istrict;Ccer -ithin 1* da3s of its com&letion

the3 are mandated to take action on the re&ort-ithin 4* da3s

If alle6ation is not &ro"ed the committee tosend a re&ort statin6 that no action is re>uired

0


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Interim Action 9urin6 In>uir3

The a66rie"ed or the res&ondent can etransferred to a"oid face to face contact

/rant lea"e to the a66rie"ed u& to

+months ;ther reliefs to the a66rie"ed as

&rescried in the rules

The em&lo3er should im&lement the ao"erecommendation and inform thecommittee aout it

+*


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2ommittee hould RecommendActions

a6ainst the res&ondent as &er the rules in

force

It ma3 e a deduction of an a&&ro&riate sumfrom the res&ondent8s salar3 or askin6 him

to &a3 the sum If the amount is not &aid' it can e reco"ered

as an arrear of land re"enue

The committee can recommend forrestrainin6 the res&ondent from su&er"isionof com&lainant8s -ork

+1


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If


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;n Arri"in6 at the Amount to e !aid

The com&laints committee should considerthe follo-in6 factors:

the trauma' &ain or distress caused

The loss of career o&&ortunit3 due to theincident

7edical e#&enses incurred

Income of the res&ondent 5easiilit3 of such &a3ment in lumsum

etc.

++


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9ealin6 -ith a 5alse7alicious2om&laint

If com&laint is false -ith malicious intent'the com&lainant can e &enalied as &erthe er"ice Rules

An en>uir3 to de conducted &rior toestalishin6 malicious intent

7ere inailit3 to &ro"e a com&laint -ill notattract &enalt3

An3 malicious com&laint 3 a -oman -illattract the same &unishment' a man -hohas een found 6uilt3 of the oBence at the-ork&lace suBers

+=


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!rohiits 9isclosure of Identit3

!rohiits disclosure of the identit3 ,address of the a66rie"ed -omanres&ondent and the -itness

An3one -ho discloses the name or identit3of the a66rie"ed -oman or -itnesses -ille liale to &a3 a &enalt3 of Rs '***

ut information re6ardin6 the justicesecured to an3 "ictim' -ithout disclosin6the identit3' can e &ulicised

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E#?!arte 9ecision

The com&laints committee can terminatethe in>uir3 &roceedin6s or 6i"e an e#?&artedecision'

if the com&lainant or the res&ondent fails'-ithout suCcient cause' to &resent herselfor himself for three consecuti"e hearin6s

E#?&arte or termination order -ill not e

&assed -ithout 6i"in6 thecom&lainantres&ondent a 1?da3 notice in-ritin6

+4


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The La- Reco6nies

/ender e>ualit3 under Article 1= of the2onstitution of India and

The right to life & live with dignity under

Article 1 of the 2onstitution %hich' in essence' includes a right to a

safe environment free from sexualharassment

+


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The La- La3s do-n

a uniform &rocedure for conductin6 anen>uir3 into the com&laint on se#ualharassment

across a "er3 -ide ran6e of em&lo3ers

includin6 the 6o"ernment' armed forces'&ri"ate or6anied sector as -ell as theunor6anied sector such as a6riculture'domestic -ork' construction -ork and theser"ice industr3

+D


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2i"il suit for dama6es

2i"il suit ma3 sur"i"e for dama6es undertort la-s

5or mental an6uish' &h3sical harassment'

loss of income and em&lo3ment caused 3the se#ual harassment

+0


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2reatin6 A-areness on !re"enti"e7easures

Em&lo3ers must disseminate se#ualharassment &re"ention &olic3

or6anie -orksho&s on the &ro"isions of the

la- , 2onduct em&lo3ees a-areness &ro6rammes

at re6ular inter"als for sensitiin6 allstakeholders aout the &rocedures

!ro"ide and &ulicise contact details of thememers of the Internal com&laintscommittee

=*


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In 2onclusion

The la- makes se#ual harassment at-ork&lace a le6al -ron6

It aims at man?-oman harmon3 at -ork

&lace It aims to uild u& condence amon6st

female em&lo3ees to stand u& a6ainstharassment

It makes the em&lo3er dut3?ound toensure a harassment?free atmos&here for-oman to enhance -ork &roducti"it3

=1


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sexual harrassment at workplace

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