No POSH committee at work? NCW wants states to crack down on non-compliant employers

If your workplace has no POSH committee, rarely conducts awareness sessions or lacks a clear system for reporting sexual harassment complaints, the National Commission for Women (NCW) wants that to change.

In a fresh advisory issued to all states and Union Territories, the NCW has called for stricter monitoring of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, proposing annual compliance audits, state-level monitoring systems and stronger district oversight to ensure employers follow the law.

The recommendations are aimed at addressing one of the biggest gaps in workplace safety: while the POSH Act has been in force for more than a decade, implementation remains uneven across many sectors, particularly in smaller organisations and the unorganised workforce.

For employees, the biggest takeaway is that workplaces with 10 or more employees could face greater scrutiny over whether they have properly constituted Internal Committees (ICs), the bodies responsible for handling sexual harassment complaints.

The Commission has recommended mandatory annual POSH audits for eligible establishments, a move that could require organisations to regularly review their compliance, reporting mechanisms, employee awareness programmes and complaint-handling procedures.

Another significant proposal is the creation of state-level POSH monitoring cells and digital dashboards that would allow authorities to track implementation more closely and identify institutions that fail to meet legal requirements.

To strengthen accountability at the grassroots level, the NCW has also urged states to appoint District Officers in every district under the POSH Act. These officers would oversee implementation, promote awareness, monitor compliance and help address grievances related to workplace sexual harassment.

The Commission has further stressed that every Internal Committee must be constituted as mandated by law, including a woman presiding officer, an external member and at least 50 per cent women representation.

The advisory also focuses on women working in the unorganised sector, where access to formal complaint mechanisms is often limited. The NCW has asked authorities to strengthen Local Committees, which are designed to hear complaints from women who do not have access to an Internal Committee at their workplace.

NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said safe workplaces are essential for women's dignity, economic participation and empowerment, adding that effective implementation of the POSH Act is a shared responsibility.

While the advisory does not create new legal obligations, it signals a push for stricter enforcement of existing workplace sexual harassment laws. If implemented by states, the measures could lead to greater accountability for employers and easier access to redressal mechanisms for women employees facing harassment at work.

With ANI inputs