POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment)

What the POSH Act requires employers to do

The Act places a duty on employers to provide a safe working environment for women and to put a working system in place for preventing and handling complaints of sexual harassment. Employers with ten or more employees must constitute an Internal Committee (IC) at each office or administrative unit. For smaller establishments, and for complaints against the employer, the law provides for a Local Committee set up at district level.

Employers are also expected to display the consequences of sexual harassment and the composition of the IC at the workplace, organize workshops and awareness programs at regular intervals, provide orientation for IC members, and assist the committee in conducting inquiries. Many organizations capture these duties in a written POSH policy that is shared with every employee.

How the Internal Committee and complaint process work

The IC must be presided over by a senior woman employee, at least half of its members must be women, and it must include an external member from a non-governmental organization or a person familiar with issues relating to sexual harassment. This structure is designed to give the committee independence and credibility.

An aggrieved woman can file a written complaint with the committee, generally within three months of the incident, and the committee can extend this window where circumstances justify it. Before starting an inquiry, the committee may attempt conciliation at the complainant's request, though monetary settlement cannot be the basis of conciliation. The Act also requires confidentiality of the identities and proceedings involved, and the IC prepares an annual report on cases handled.

Designing POSH awareness training that people understand

Effective POSH training explains what counts as sexual harassment under the Act, including the broad definition of workplace, which can extend beyond the office to places visited during work. It should show employees how to raise a complaint, what protections exist against retaliation, and what bystanders and managers are expected to do. IC members need separate, deeper training on conducting fair inquiries.

Because India's workforce is linguistically diverse, delivering POSH training in employees' own languages improves understanding, especially for frontline and contract staff. Scenario-based examples drawn from the organization's real settings tend to be more useful than abstract legal text.

Keeping POSH compliance current year after year

POSH compliance is ongoing rather than a one-time setup. Committees need to be reconstituted when members leave, new joiners need training soon after they start, and policies should be reviewed as the organization grows into new locations. Keeping training records, committee details and annual reports organized makes it easier to respond to questions from authorities or during internal audits.