Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redress) Rules, 2013, notified

The Women and Child Development Ministry has notified rules for prevention of harassment at workplace. Following are the guidelines:

• Any malicious complaint of sexual harassment by a woman will attract the same punishment a man who has been found guilty of it at the workplace suffers.
• The Ministry has recommend that action for sexual harassment/malicious complaint would include –  a written apology; warning; reprimand or censure; withholding of promotion, pay rise or increments; termination from service; or undergoing counselling or doing community service. These will apply in cases where service rules do not exist.
• Anyone who discloses the name or identity of the aggrieved woman or witnesses will be liable to pay a penalty of Rs 5,000.
• On the inquiry procedure, internal complaints committee or local complaints committee can, on a written request, grant the complainant relief during the pendency of inquiry by restraining the accused from reporting on the work performance of the aggrieved woman or writing her confidential report, and, in case of an educational institution, by restraining the respondent from supervising any academic activity of the woman.
• A complaint of sexual harassment can be filed by a relative or a friend, a co-worker or an officer of the National Commission for Women or the State Women’s Commission or any other person who has knowledge of the incident where the complainant is unable to do it herself because of physical incapacity. But this has to be done with her written consent.