Heads Up, Pune Employers: Establish Internal Committees to Combat Sexual Harassment

Pune, 17th January 2024: The District Women and Child Development office has issued a notification, emphasizing the mandatory establishment of an internal grievance redressal committee to address and penalize harassers, aiming to prevent sexual harassment incidents against working women in both government and private establishments employing ten or more individuals.

In accordance with the provisions outlined in the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act of 2013, this directive applies to government offices, local authority offices, private offices, as well as institutions, associations, boards, companies, factories, hospitals, and schools with a workforce of ten or more employees. The heads of these establishments, including office heads, owners of workplaces, and heads of colleges, hotels, shops, banks, etc., are obligated to take immediate steps to constitute a committee. Failure to do so may result in fines of up to Rs 50,000 for non-compliant office heads and owners.

Under Section 19B of the Act, a board pertaining to the establishment of the Internal Grievance Committee must be prominently displayed within the office premises. This board should include information such as the name of the office, contact number, serial number, and date of the committee’s establishment, along with the names of the Chairman and members of the Grievance Redressal Committee. The board should also provide details such as the address, contact number, and email ID of the Grievance Redressal Committee, fines, penalties for violations, and the contact information of the nodal officer. A copy of this board should be submitted to the District Women and Child Development Officer’s office.

For further guidance, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Work (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act of 2013 Rules and Manual are available at https://wcd.nic.in.

Women and Child Development Officer Monika Randhave has urged individuals to reach out to the District Women and Child Development Officer at 29/2, Gulmarg Park Cooperative Housing Society, 3rd Floor, Near Jadhav Bakers, Somwar Peth, Pune – 411011, via [email protected] for additional information.