Workplace should become safer & secure for women

Visakhapatnam : When women employees experience harassment at the workplace, they would hardly get any relief even if they share their concerns with their boss. But the scenario is likely to change now.

A recent incident in Visakhapatnam sets tone for the much-required transformation.

Even as Vidya (name changed) was not keeping well, she decided to go to the office just to divert herself from feeling ‘sick’.

As she was not as cheerful as she used to be, her boss could not resist checking with her if things are fine at her end or not. When she responded to him stating that she’s down with fever and headache, he came so close to Vidya and casually placed his palm over her forehead to check temperature.

That’s when Vidya felt ‘uncomfortable’. However, instead of silencing her growing discomfort with her boss and brushing the unsettling moments aside, the 28-year-old employee was courageous enough to go for redressal, approaching the complaints committee, who not just looked into her issue but also took action against the boss after carrying out a detailed inquiry.

How many women feel intimidated at the workplace? Do they feel safe to complain about the perpetrator in the office, who, in most cases, turns out to be their boss? At a time when monthly salaries play a major part to keep the home fires burning, how far women employees can go to vent their ‘uncomfortable moments’, make them heard and still keep their job intact? After pulling up strength and raising their concerns at the workplace, will the confidentiality be maintained or will they be targeted?

Allaying such fears associated with standing up for oneself at the workplace, chairperson of District Local Complaints Committee (DLCC) P Usha, says, “That’s where internal complaints committees (ICCs) come into play. At a workplace where 10 or more women employees are present, ICC (internal complaints committee) is mandatory as per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, also known as POSH Act.”

The ICCs aid in ensuring safe environment for women, help them combat sexual harassment, violence at workplace, redress complaints and bring in change among employers, employees and policymakers.

LCC, a body formulated in accordance with the POSH Act, receives complaints of harassment from employees of organisations that do not have ICCs as they have less than 10 employees, women working in unorganised sector as well.

As a number of organisations continue to operate without constituting ICCs, the Women and Child Development has come up with an action plan to ensure that organisations set up internal complaints committees at the earliest. Although the DLCC is in place, not many complaints have been registered, barring a few. Already, newsletters were sent to the management of companies to set up ICCs and report to the DLCC about the nature and number of complaints received on a weekly basis.

A fine of Rs 50,000 will be charged against the organisation that failed to constitute the ICC as per the POSH Act.

Sharing details of the committee, secretary of DLCC G Jaya Devi, says, “On a monthly basis, the ICC members should update about the cases they deal with. In case there are no complaints, the companies have to specify a nil report for the particular month.”

In addition, a customised training will be given to the five-member-team of the ICCs by the Women and Child Development department so that they could handle, resolve complaints in a fair, time-bound manner and help women work effectively without the fear of being intimidated by ‘someone’ or targeted at the workplace.