'Filing a workplace harassment case against a well-known company or professional can bring risks like retaliation, harm to your career and emotional stress,' warns Smita Shetty Kapoor.
The Supreme Court has sought the assistance of the solicitor general of India in a plea that seeks job security for members of internal complaint committees (ICC) for sexual harassment at workplaces. The court recognized the importance of the plea and expressed concern over the lack of response from the Central government, despite issuing notice. The petitioners, Janaki Chaudhry and Olga Tellis, argue that ICC members in the private sector face a serious conflict of interest as they can be terminated without reason if a decision goes against the senior management. The petition highlights the vulnerability of ICC members to retaliation and the lack of protection they have compared to their counterparts in the public sector.
The woman, who lived in Ghaziabad and worked at the firm located in Noida, was allegedly being harassed for the past five to six months, her family claimed.
Institute Director Himanshu Rai told PTI on Thursday that IIM Indore's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) launched its investigation immediately after receiving the complaint in which the female student alleged sexual harassment incident that occurred during an off-campus event.
Abusive language, threats, harassment, excessive or anonymous calls, public humiliation, and misleading representations are explicitly prohibited.
A case has been registered against the founder of Ola Electric and other senior officials following the suicide of an engineer who accused them of harassment and non-payment of dues.
Indian shooting federation chief Kalikesh Singh Deo says the body has a zero tolerance policy towards sexual misconduct and will extend full cooperation to the law enforcement agencies investigating the alleged sexual assault of a minor shooter by national coach Ankush Bhardwaj.
Romance may be personal, but when it enters the workplace, particularly in reporting hierarchies, it becomes a matter of governance.
"If HR isn't responsive, it's critical to keep records of all interactions -- e-mails, dates and any conversations you had. If HR fails to help, escalate the matter to higher management or the internal complaints committee," says Smita Shetty Kapoor.
'Given that the population is almost evenly split, the Indian economy cannot grow without women participating in the workforce.' 'While women's participation has increased, it is still well below 40 per cent,' says Kartik Narayan, CEO of the professional networking and jobs platform, Apna.
The Save Indian Family Foundation, a non-profit organisation, promoting the cause of men's rights and gender equality has alleged that the Women and Child Ministry is desperately trying to sneak in a highly anti-male bill any which way. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
The principal of a college in Odisha was arrested after a student set herself ablaze following alleged sexual harassment. The incident has sparked protests and political tensions in the state.
The Bombay High Court ruled that a comment on a woman colleague's hair, even if accompanied by a song, does not constitute sexual harassment at work. The court set aside a bank's internal report and an industrial court order that had found a senior executive guilty of misconduct under the POSH Act, arguing that the alleged actions did not amount to sexual harassment. The court noted that the complainant herself had not perceived the comment as sexual harassment at the time and later expressed gratitude to the executive.
On average, 49 sexual harassment cases were reported every day in 2022.
A private marketing firm in Kerala has been accused of subjecting its underperforming employees to degrading treatment, including making them walk on their knees like chained dogs and lick coins from the floor. The state Labour department has ordered a probe into the alleged inhuman workplace harassment after disturbing visuals were aired by local television channels. The incident has sparked outrage and prompted investigations by the Labour department, the State Human Rights Commission, and the Kerala State Youth Commission.
The National Annual Report & Index on Women's Safety (NARI) 2025 reveals the safest and least safe cities for women in India, highlighting factors influencing safety perceptions and experiences.
The West Bengal government has drafted new rules to enhance the security of working women, especially those on night shifts. The rules include setting up a mandatory complaint committee and installing CCTV cameras at workplaces.
The Maharashtra government has transferred Rs 17,505.90 crore into the bank accounts of 2.38 crore women beneficiaries under its Ladki Bahin Yojana till December 2024, in the first five months after the scheme was launched. The scheme, launched in August 2024, provides financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women. The objective of the scheme is to promote employment and economic development by providing adequate facilities to women and girls in the age group 21 to 65 years. The scheme aims to promote the empowerment of women and girls and improve the health and nutritional status of women and children dependent on them.
According to the complainant, he belongs to the Adi Dravida community, a Scheduled Caste, and was subjected to caste-based remarks several times at the workplace.
The top court said there are serious lapses in the enforcement of the 2013 Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) in India has received over 7,600 complaints this year, with domestic violence, assault, and criminal intimidation being the most common grievances. Domestic violence accounted for nearly 20 percent of all complaints, followed by criminal intimidation and assault. Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of complaints, representing over 50 percent of all nationwide complaints. Officials attribute the high number of complaints to increasing awareness among women about their rights and ways to reach out to authorities.
Trial by the media can be avoided if the industry itself devises effective mechanisms to bring this to an end
The court emphasised that all parties must comply with Section 16 of the POSH Act, ensuring confidentiality of the identities involved.
The group of journalists also passed a joint resolution seeking justice for the victims.
The much-awaited report of the Justice Hema Committee, the government-appointed panel in 2019 that studied issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, comprises explosive accounts of harassment, exploitation, and ill-treatment being faced by women.
"There is a limit when it comes to tolerating abusive behaviour or working styles. Many (employees) find ways to quit," says career coach and rediffGURU Pradeep Pramanik.
The Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill under which cases of sexual harassment at workplace, including against domestic help, will have to be disposed of by in-house committees within a period of 90 days failing which penalty of Rs 50,000 would be imposed.
It is high time old boys' clubs inside many large corporations come under serious scrutiny for protecting one of their own.
Amid din over coal block allocation issue, the Lok Sabha on Monday passed a bill which seeks to protect women, including lakhs employed as domestic workers, from sexual harassment at workplace.
When I was very new at my job I recall a colleague who felt it was ok to get too close for comfort or even try to hold my hand if he got a chance. I was too afraid to speak up because he had tenure in the organisation and was a favourite with my boss, remembers Aarti David.
NCW data show a noticeable rise in sexual harassment at the workplace.
The new administrative panel would be elected within two months after convening a general body meeting, it said.
To prevent being sexually harassed, it is important to first understand where it will happen and who your possible predators are.
The Supreme Court of India directed the government to establish a legal framework to protect domestic workers and address their exploitation.
A scientist working at a government research institute funded by the University Grants Commission shares his experience.
A US-based Dalit civil rights organisation on Thursday accused Google of having a casteist and hostile workplace practices.
'Binary fission will happen -- startups will lead to more startups.'
The complainant must file the complaint within three months from the date of the incident and the Internal Committee will give seven working days to the accused to respond to the allegations. The respondent gets 10 days to respond.
Micromanagers feel the need to be involved in every decision, hence they will avoid delegating tasks and spend a lot of time focusing on minor details rather than the bigger picture, says Sonica Aron, founder of the HR consultancy firm, Marching Sheep.
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