Sexual Harassment At Workplace

Internal Complaints Committee (ICC):

• Under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, it is mandatory for any organisation with 10 or more employees to constitute an ICC.
  
  
• An employer who doesn’t do so could face a fine of up to ₹50,000.
  
  
• Composition: An ICC should consist of a –
  • presiding officer, who is a woman employee at a senior level in the same organisation,
    
    
  • at least two employees “preferably committed to the cause of women”, and
    
    
  • a member from an NGO or a person “familiar with issues relating to sexual harassment.”
    
    
  
  
  
• Powers: ICC would have powers similar to those of a civil court and would have to complete its inquiry within 90 days.
  
  

Recent decision:

• For making the disclosure mandatory, Corporate Affairs Ministry has amended the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, governed by the Companies Act, 2013.
  
  
• The amended rules state that the Annual Reports of Private companies will have to contain a statement about status of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).