PoSH training in Ahmedabad is at rising demand, not just because PoSH training is mandatory in India but also Posh awareness is need of the hour.
Ahmedabad is located near the banks of the Sabarmati River, 25 km from the capital of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. It has emerged as an important economic and industrial hub in India.
It is known as the ‘Manchester of India’ as it is the second-largest producer of cotton in India, due to which it was along with Kanpur. Its increasing population has resulted in development of construction and housing industries resulting.
It was ranked third in Forbes’s list of fastest growing cities of the decade in the year 2010. With growing industrialization of Ahmedabad, there is an increased need for Gender Sensitization and PoSH awareness at the workplace. Specially for PoSH training in Ahmedabad.
Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment to their employees. And what is a safe working place? Safety doesn’t just mean being free from life-threatening situations.
Initiative by Gujarat Government for PoSH training in Ahmedabad and other cities
Gujarat Government spurred into action after recent controversies regarding inappropriate conduct of officers at workplace. It launched a state-wide gender sensitization programme in August 2019. All state government employees — from the secretariat to the taluka level were given lessons on what constituted sexual harassment.
These initiatives were taken when IAS officer Gaurav Dahiya was suspended under charges of bigamy and intimidation.
The PoSH Act 2013
In an attempt to enable a safe working environment for women, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act and the Rules (collectively known as POSH Laws) have been enacted and passed by the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, in the year 2013. The POSH Act extends to the ‘whole of India’.
These laws are applicable upon every workplace, establishment, company, and organization, inclusive of MNCs, firms, shops, restaurants, government organizations etc.
What is Sexual Harassment?
It refers to any form of discrimination that includes unwelcome attention of sexual. It involves a range of behaviours from seemingly mild transgressions and annoyances, to actual sexual abuse or sexual assault. Nowadays Virtual sexual harassment cases have also increased manifold.
It also includes the conduct of co-workers who engage in verbal abuse or body shaming which has the potential to humiliate or embarrass an employee or the company.
It may include any or all of the following: –
- Sexual advances, requests or demand for sexual favours, either explicitly or implicitly, in return for employment, promotion or examination.
- Eve teasing, unwelcome invitations meet outside office, suggestive comments or jokes, physical confinement against one’s will and intruding one’s privacy.
- Any unsolicited gesture by an employee having sexual hints.
- Physical contact and advances.
- Staring, leering or unwelcome touching.
- Suggestive comments or jokes.
- Showing pornography.
- Undesirable physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.
- Virtual Sexual Harassment
Compliance of PoSH Act
1. Committee: Each organisation with more than 10 employees is required to form an Internal Complaints Committee headed by a “female presiding officer”
2. Policy: Formulation of an internal POSH policy for the prevention and redressal of sexual harassment at workplaces.
3. Training Programme: Orientation and training programmes are also required to be carried out by the organisation.
4. Annual Report: The organizations are also required to file an annual report with the information of the number of sexual harassment complaints received in a year, the number of complaints disposed of in a year, cases pending for more than 90 days, etc.
Reporting under Directors Report:
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, through a Notification dated July 31, 2018, amended the Companies (Accounts) Rules 2014, in accordance with the request made by the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare.
By this amendment, it is now mandatory to disclose that the company has implemented the provisions of the Sexual Harassment Act.
Penalty
If the employer fails to comply with the law, he/she is liable to a fine of Rs.50,000. On repeated non-compliance of the law, the employer can be penalised with double the fine amount. Non-compliance can also lead to cancellation of licence, withdrawal or non-renewal of registration for carrying on the business. However, employers should look at complying with this law, not because of penalties but because sexual harassment-free work environment would lead to better growth of the business and enhanced goodwill for the organization
PoSH Compliance at Ahmedabad
With increase in case of sexual harassment especially online sexual harassment at work place, many companies in Ahmedabad have initiated Gender sensitization programmes. They have a robust PoSH policy in place , conduct POSH training programs at regular intervals . Whenever there is a case of sexual harassment, it is handled in a transparent and neutral manner.
Are you looking for a reliable partner to ensure 100% PoSH Compliance?
Proud HR Services is an end-to-end service partner for the implementation of Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) legal compliance. We partner with companies on case redressal and policies to proactively build safer work cultures and sexual harassment (POSH) trainings either in person or virtually. We will establish and clarify the roles and functions of each member. We also provide training for all employees and ICC. We also help in empanelment of external members of IC.
Shivani Bose is a PoSH certified trainer and has been instrumental in implementing PoSH across industries. She is an external panel member of ICC for various companies. She has conducted several workshops on Gender sensitization and PoSH awareness and had counselled several clients facing mental wellness and gender bias issues.
For more details on diversity, inclusion and prevention of sexual harassment, pls contact at info@proudhr.com.
