Gender sensitization drive for employers, employees, and stakeholders in the workplace in the MeToo Era.

Model Code of Conduct for employers, employees, and other stakeholders.   PoSH Law compliance in workplaces.  

Learn to say No to Sexual Harassment! 

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Model behavior code of conduct for male employees, vendors, contractors, interns, in line with the PoSH policy. Prevention of sexual harassment in workplaces.

With more and more women entering the workplace it becomes important as to what is normal, acceptable behavior  and what is not appropriate or acts amounting to sexual harassment under the law.

In a traditionally male dominated society where standard norms have been dictated and regularized by male behaviors, it is important to redefine what constitutes sexual harassment in the MeToo digital era where exposing a creepy behavior becomes much more easier on online platforms or campaigns such as MeToo globally.

What is appropriate at one stage need not necessarily be appropriate with passage of time or at another occasion. For example offering to shake hands with a female colleague may be appropriate in western societies but inappropriate in some conservative cultures like in the Middle East or in some communities.

PoSH complainant behaviors for male employees –10 Commandments.

• Behave normally. Keep safe physical distance so as to avoid touching or getting too close to violate her personal space, movement while in an elevator, walking down the corridor, allay, or while sitting next to a female colleague. Treat her the same way you would treat someone in your family.
•  Talk normally, do not leave room for misunderstanding or make advances. Do not ask a female colleague out for an outing, coffee, drink or a meal. Reserve these for your girlfriend, wife, significant other or someone to whom you are committed. You never know if the female colleague is already in a relationship or has someone else in mind.
• Do not show undue interest in a female colleague or attempt an affair, things can get tricky with the new PoSH laws.
• Do not talk offensive or crack vulgar, sexist jokes, or even let female colleagues overhear them. This can amount to sexual harassment.
• Do not talk ill of women or womanhood even with male colleagues where the same can be overheard by a female employee. Do not be a misogynist. Never remark a woman is “difficult to work with” or “aggressive”.
• Sending unsolicited social media/email messages, photos which have sexually colored message, picture, graphics or anything that maybe annoying under the Information Technology rules that are offences. Remember these days we are all in WhatsApp groups and other social networks.
• Complimenting a female colleague about her body/dress with an innuendo which has a double meaning or sexual tone. Showing too much affection for no reason. Trying to take over her work suggesting that she is inferior or you are superior.
• Asking a female employee a date, out, asking her to stay back in office late for a project when others have left under some pretext with some ulterior motive.   
•  Discriminatory practices that amount to sexual harassment. Refusing to give a female employee enough work, giving her less work, more work thereby denying her the opportunity to grow in the organisation, not letting her enough opportunities to fulfill her job responsibilities and move ahead in her career. 
• Lastly if you feel something is wrong at work with a female colleague, feel free to report the same to the manager or Internal Complaints Committee.

How Hollywood handles sexual harassment cases – code of conduct to prevent sexual harassment at the film sets. The code states that quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when your job or work assignments depend on your submission to sexual or romantic requests from a superior or you are denied work or given less favourable work, assignments because of your unwillingness to engage in sexual or romantic behaviour.  Members can report any sexual harassment to SAG-AFTRA helpline number.

What the PoSH Law says: The ICC or Internal complaints committee formed under the sexual harassment of women at workplace in (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013 is mandatory by law in organisation to receive complaints about the sexual harassment of women.  As per the law, any organisation or unit that has 10 or more employees must have an ICC headed by a senior woman of the unit, 50%of its members have to be women and needs to have an external woman member (lawyer, NGO worker, or social worker who has worked on women’s issues). The ICC is bound to keep the identity of the victim confidential. The time frame of filing complaints: within 3 months from the date of occurrence of the incident.

Contact our PoSH Legal Team: techlegalworld@gmail.com
PoSH Training Helpline: 91- 9895091976

Resources, references, bibliography and website links:

MeToo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_Too_movement        

MeToo India: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_Too_movement_(India)

Sexual harassment cases in Hollywood: https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/g23847853/metoo-one-year-on-women-in-hollywood-elle/

Times of India #MeToo casualties across bollywood & multiple industries so far: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/metoo-movement-sexual-harassment-allegations-so-far/articleshow/66267346.cms

#MeToo in Kerala film industry: https://www.livemint.com/Consumer/SHUctbALejPzXblfUl8XBO/Malayalam-cinema-battles-misogyny-as-MeToo-gains-ground-in.html

Women in Cinema Collective files writ in High Court to constitute Internal Complaints Committee under POSH Law: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/wcc-files-writ-petition-grievance-redressal-mechanism-against-sexual-harassment-90108

Hollywood SAG-AFTRA Code of Conduct https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-releases-sexual-harassment-code-conduct

Hollywood Call to Action link:  https://www.sagaftra.org/files/call_to_action_final.pdf