A POSH complaint arrives, and suddenly, the organisation finds itself dealing with a mix of emotions and concerns. There is urgency, anxiety, internal pressure and, most importantly, the question of who filed the complaint against whom.In such situations, the quickest solution that may come to mind is to terminate the employee against whom the complaint…
It is the External Member who is looked upon as the person responsible for strengthening neutrality and fairness in the handling of a POSH complaint or a regular compliance check by the Internal Committee. Their expertise and independent perspective are what both complainants as well as respondents look up to for reassurance throughout the process,…
Why Treating POSH Compliance as a Checkbox Is a Legal and Cultural Risk One recurring risk in larger organizations is that POSH compliance can gradually become a procedural checklist rather than a functioning prevention and redressal framework. Most firms often prioritise formal adherence, such as drafting policies, conducting awareness and training programmes, and constituting committees,…
The External Member’s Role in a POSH Inquiry: What You Can and Cannot Do One key problem I often encounter is treating POSH compliance as a checkbox exercise rather than a cornerstone of corporate governance and ethical operations. I believe it is the External Member’s determination and consistent contribution that add to the purpose…
An organisation may have a well-drafted POSH policy, a duly constituted Internal Committee (IC), and complete records of awareness programmes/workshops conducted at regular intervals. Yet, during an exit interview, an employee may say, “I never felt comfortable raising something like that here.” Such a statement does not establish that sexual harassment has occurred. Similarly, a…
Selecting a POSH External Member in India requires more than just listing famous, wellknown names. Here are five common mistakes organisations make in reference to appointment that can be avoided under the POSH Act, 2013. An organisation starts by constituting its Internal Committee, displaying its POSH policy, and even completing its annual awareness session. Then…
When a complaint reaches the Internal Committee, the real compliance work begins. The POSH Act, 2013 doesn’t leave this to discretion — it sets out a specific, time-bound procedure every IC is legally required to follow. This piece walks through what that process looks like, where organizations consistently get it wrong, and what a proper…