Will your organisation pay for your ignorance?

While growing up children are frequently asked, what they would like to be when they grow up. Answers like “doctor”, “pilot”, “scientist”, “sailor”, “armyman”, “just like daddy”, or “what mummy does” are met with glowing pride on the faces of parents. But the dream turns sour when even the hallowed portals of medicine, engineering and the like are tainted with horrific cases of sexual harassment and other abuse which are often hushed up, further encouraging the perpetuators of crime to operate fearlessly.

To combat this, Mr Vishal Kedia, with his organisation, Complykaro is tirelessly striving towards building a work environment where sexual harassment has no place. This is done through a series of actionable steps. The workforce is sensitised about the new law that protects and safeguards women and what constitutes sexual harassment is clearly defined.

No longer can organisations claim ignorance about The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act, 2013. They are being made aware that there are penal consequences should the organisation be legally non-compliant. Under this Act, the Government makes it mandatory for organisations to form an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at each location which mandates 50% of the committee members to be women, train such committee members to handle complaints sensitively, formulate the anti sexual harassment policy, organise informative sessions for the staff to be made aware about this law, display informative posters, help the ICC formulate the Annual Report to be submitted to the appropriate authority and take other such measures.

If an organisation cannot provide a safe and secure environment for women, and fails to make its premises a zero tolerance zone towards sexual harassment, then it has to be ready to face punishable action such as:

1. Monetary fines
2. Revoking of business license
3. Criminal prosecution

The choice is yours: Know the law, protect the women in your workforce. Help us to fight the good fight.