Workplace sexual harassment undermines safety, dignity, and productivity. Strengthening POSH implementation, leadership accountability, effective Internal Committees, and a culture of respect and equality is essential for creating safe, inclusive, and productive workplaces
Dr Aditi Panda
Why am I receiving strange private messages in the middle of the night? Why does it feel like everyone is watching me at work? If I wear whatever makes me feel good, as long as it is appropriate for the workplace, why am I being criticized for my sense of style? Why does the thought of going to work tomorrow morning make me dread Sunday nights? Am I being stalked?
Even though these thoughts may seem insignificant or meaningless, they can cause anxiety and distress to anyone, particularly young girls and women working in any profession, especially in the corporate or IT sectors, where technology often makes offenders difficult to identify. However, these experiences serve as warning signs that highlight significant issues in the current workplace culture.
Sexual harassment in the workplace remains a major problem worldwide because it jeopardizes women’s safety and dignity while hampering their professional growth. Its consequences are not limited to individuals; they also affect organizational culture and productivity. Although legal frameworks exist to address such behaviour, challenges in implementation and administration persist.
Considering the contemporary current genre’s conviction in equity, many workplaces have a friendly atmosphere where men and women feel comfortable mingling. In contrast, traditional government and development sectors often continue to follow the ‘Sir-Madam’ culture, where a figurative Laxman Rekha limits excessive familiarity or companionship. This is not to suggest that sexual harassment does not occur in these sectors. However, many women are reluctant to report such incidents due to fear of shame, retaliation, or the belief that retaining a secure government job is more important.
In today’s society, where the younger generation feels comfortable in each other’s company and may not hesitate to hug or casually touch coworkers with whom they share a close bond, the question of how to define sexual harassment often arises. The problem begins when a girl or woman feels uncomfortable with a particular individual or rejects unwanted friendship or advances at work. It is not even about friendship; it can begin with a seemingly harmless touch and, if left unchecked, escalate into physical and psychological abuse.
While addressing harassment, it is important to remember that friendships and professional relationships have boundaries that cannot be crossed without consent. No one can coerce another person into accepting advances or becoming friends. In many cases, those in positions of authority misuse their power to corner their juniors, exposing unequal power dynamics. Although boys and men can also experience sexual harassment, women and girls remain more vulnerable.
Sexual harassment does not begin with the dreaded four-letter word starting with the letter “R.” It often starts with subtle advances, such as sending inappropriate messages, stalking, making comments about how people should dress or what colour suits you, or asking someone to stay back after work under the pretext of official work. These behaviours may appear harmless but are often the beginning of a much larger problem. Victims may also receive offensive phone calls or inappropriate digital communications and may experience unwanted physical contact such as patting, pinching, or caressing. Sexual jokes, suggestive emails, and malicious rumours are often spread in an attempt to pressure the victim into accepting unwanted advances despite repeated refusals.
As awareness of the Internal Committee (IC) has increased to ensure a safe and respectful workplace for women, offenders have also become more cautious and manipulative in setting traps for their victims. Under the POSH Act, 2013, the IC is a mandatory statutory body established in workplaces to receive, manage, and resolve complaints of sexual harassment against women.
Sometimes harassment begins with offensive jokes, inappropriate comments, or uncomfortable gestures. When an employee rejects such advances, she may face disparaging remarks, exposure to explicit material in the workplace, or persistent unwelcome attention. Even without overt threats, the environment becomes hostile and intimidating, causing significant psychological distress. Victims may also receive unfair performance evaluations, be excluded from important projects, or have their career progression deliberately hindered for refusing inappropriate demands.
Power imbalances, deeply ingrained gender stereotypes, and organizational cultures that fail to enforce accountability are often the underlying causes of workplace sexual harassment. Inappropriate behaviour can escalate from seemingly minor remarks to coercion when discriminatory attitudes are tolerated or authority is abused. Harassment is less about attraction and more about the misuse of power, disrespect for equality, and the absence of accountability due to weak policies, inadequate reporting systems, and fear of retaliation.
Senior employees or supervisors may misuse their authority within patriarchal and male-dominated workplace cultures that normalize male dominance and silence victims. Perpetrators are further emboldened by ambiguous regulations or lax enforcement.
Keeping this in mind, under the POSH Act, 2013, the Internal Committee (IC) (earlier known as Internal Complaint Committee or ICC) plays a vital role in maintaining a safe workplace. The Committee must be headed by a Presiding Officer, who should be a senior woman employee at the workplace. If no senior woman employee is available at that workplace, the employer may nominate a senior woman employee from another office or administrative unit of the same organisation. The Committee also includes employee members and an external member familiar with issues relating to sexual harassment to ensure that complaints are handled fairly and impartially. This composition is intended to encourage women employees to approach the Committee with confidence and report incidents of sexual harassment without fear.
Given the current economic situation, where inflation and the cost of living continue to rise, it has become essential for both partners in many households to work. Monthly expenses, which increase further when children are involved, along with other unavoidable financial responsibilities, often make women hesitant to raise complaints openly for fear of losing their jobs or damaging their professional reputations. Since coworkers become like a second family and people often spend more time at work than at home, it is time for society to treat one another with equality and respect in order to create a happy, healthy, and productive workplace.
Workplace sexual harassment is a systemic issue that requires organized and legally enforceable solutions. Organizations must go beyond awareness campaigns by implementing comprehensive policies that clearly define inappropriate behaviour, establish confidential reporting mechanisms, and ensure protection against retaliation. Regular training, leadership accountability, and transparent disciplinary procedures are essential to ensure compliance and foster a culture of respect.
Ultimately, effective implementation of these policies is not merely a legal obligation but a cornerstone of ethical governance, safeguarding both organizational integrity and employee well-being while creating a safe workplace for all.
(The author is a development sector professional. Views expressed are personal.)