When a POSH complaint comes in, the Presiding Officer as well as the rest of the Internal Committee have a huge responsibility - and a very time-consuming one - to ensure a thorough and fair investigation.

Some of the tasks they face include:

• Reading through the complaint, witness statements and the respondent’s response

• Cross-questioning the complainant, respondent, witnesses and perhaps supervisors and peers

• Looking through evidence, messages, emails, photos, cctv footage...

• Reviewing in case of contradictory statements or evidence

• Establishing that the complaint is genuine and not malicious

• Completing documentation, getting signatures where required, writing reports ensuring all details are captured with clarity and accuracy

• Making certain that the entire proceedings are completely in compliance with the POSH Act, maintaining all timelines to avoid any future legal complications
  
  Not to mention the feat of getting all the IC members free at the same time to do all the above!

We have been involved in investigations that have consumed over 30 hours. Several senior employees are usually involved in each investigation so think of the man-hours lost! When you consider this, taking the time and effort to prevent or at least reduce cases of harassment is a worthwhile investment. 

There are some steps that can significantly reduce the incidence of harassment. (Note, our goal is not to just reduce POSH complaints, because receiving complaints often means that the system is working well! This refers rather to actual reduction in harassing behaviour.)

Employee awareness. The most obvious is to train all employees periodically. New joinees should receive training during induction so they know expected behaviour right from the start.

Manager training. Managers require additional targeted training, since a large number of cases involve senior-subordinate harassment, which has more serious implications for the company.

Policy creation.  It is also important to ensure that necessary policies are in place. Besides the basic POSH policy, some related HR policies around acceptable conduct would be helpful. Plan additional measures for ‘high-risk’ situations (think office parties, offsite events, work travel, online situations). And then find ways to reinforce awareness repeatedly. 

These may seem time-consuming, but trust us – it is far less so than conducting frequent POSH investigations! Or worse still, dealing with the aftermath of a social media reveal.

Prevent sexual harassment. Now. Save precious time to do what you do best… running your business!