PBS KUMAR

STANDING OPERATION PROCEDURE AND PREVENTION OF

SEXUALHARASSMENT AT WORKPLACE

I. COMMITMENT:

Our Company is committed to provide a work environment that ensures every woman
employee is treated with dignity and respect and afforded equitable treatment.

The Company is also committed to promote a work environment that is conducive to

the professional growth of its women employees and encourages equality of
opportunity.

The Company will not tolerate any form of sexual harassment and is committed to take
all necessary steps to ensure that its women employees are not subjected to any form
of harassment.

II. SCOPE:

This policy applies to all categories of employees of the Company, including

permanent management and workmen, temporaries, trainees and employees on
contract at its workplace or at client sites. The Company will not tolerate sexual
harassment, if engaged in by clients or by suppliers or any other business associates.

The workplace includes:

1. All offices or other premises where the Company’s business is conducted.

2. All company-related activities performed at any other site away from the
Company’s premises.
3. Any social, business or other functions where the conduct or comments may
have an adverse impact on the workplace or workplace relations.

III. DEFINITION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT:

Sexual harassment may be one or a series of incidents involving unsolicited and

unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, or any other verbal or
physical conduct of sexual nature.

Sexual Harassment at the workplace includes:

1. unwelcome sexual advances (verbal, written or physical),
2. demand or request for sexual favours,
 3. any other type of sexually-oriented conduct,
4. verbal abuse or ‘joking’ that is sex-oriented,
5. any conduct that has the purpose or the effect of interfering with an individual’s
work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work
environment and/or submission to such conduct is either an explicit or implicit
term or condition of employment and /or submission or rejection of the conduct
is used as a basis for making employment decisions.

IV. RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT:

All employees of the Company have a personal responsibility to ensure that their
behavior is not contrary to this policy.

All employees are encouraged to reinforce the maintenance of a work environment

free from sexual harassment.

V. COMPLAINT MECHANISM:

Whether or not such conduct constitutes an offence under law or a breach of the
service rules, an appropriate complaint mechanism in the form of “Complaints
Committee” has been created in the Company for time-bound redressal of the
complaint made by the victim.

VI. COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE:

The Company has instituted a Complaints Committee for redressal of sexual

harassment complaint (made by the victim) and for ensuring time bound treatment of
such complaints.

Initially, and till further notice, the Complaints Committee will comprise of the following
three members out of which at least 2 members will be women:
1. U n it Head (Chairperson)
2. Unit Head-HR (Co-ordinator)
3. HOD’S of Technical services and Non-Technical Services one from each
(Members)
 The Complaints Committee is responsible for:
• Investigating every formal written complaint of sexual harassment
• Taking appropriate remedial measures to respond to any substantiated
allegations of sexual harassment
• Discouraging and preventing employment-related sexual harassment

VII. PROCEDURES FOR RESOLUTION, SETTLEMENT OR PROSECUTION OF ACTS

OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT:

The Company is committed to providing a supportive environment in which to resolve

concerns of sexual harassment as under:
A. Informal Resolution Options

1. When an incident of sexual harassment occurs, the victim of such conduct can
communicate her disapproval and objections immediately to the harasser and
request the harasser to behave decently.
2. If the harassment does not stop or if victim is not comfortable with addressing
the harasser directly, she can bring her concern to the attention of the
Complaints Committee for redressal of her grievances. The Complaints
Committee will thereafter provide advice or extend support as requested and
will undertake prompt investigation to resolve the matter.

B. Complaints:
1. Any employee with a harassment concern, who is not comfortable with the
informal resolution options or has exhausted such options, may make a formal
complaint to the Chairperson of the Complaints Committee constituted by the
Management. The complaint shall have to be in writing and can be in form of a
letter, preferably within 15 days from the date of occurrence of the alleged
incident, sent in a sealed envelope. Alternately, the employee can send
complaint through an email. The employee is required to disclose her name,
department, division and location she is working in, to enable the Chairperson
to contact her and take the matter forward.

2. The Chairperson of the Complaints Committee will proceed to determine

whether the allegations (assuming them to be true only for the purpose of this
determination) made in the complaint fall under the purview of Sexual
Harassment, preferably within 30 days from receipt of the complaint. In the
event, the allegation does not fall under the purview of Sexual Harassment or
the allegation does not mean an offence of Sexual Harassment, s/he will record
this finding with reasons and communicate the same to the complainant.
 3. If the Chairperson of the Complaints Committee determines that the allegations
constitute an act of sexual harassment, s/he will proceed to investigate the
allegation with the assistance of the Complaints Committee.

4. Where such conduct on the part of the accused amounts to a specific offence
under the law, the Company shall initiate appropriate action in accordance with
law by making a complaint with the appropriate authority.

5. The Complaints Committee shall conduct such investigations in a timely

manner and shall submit a written report containing the findings and
recommendations to the COMPANY HEAD & Head-HR as soon as practically
possible and in any case, not later than 90 days from the date of receipt of the
complaint. The COMPANY HEAD & Head-HR will ensure corrective action on
the recommendations of the Complaints Committee and keep the complainant
informed of the same.

Corrective action may include any of the following:

a. Formal apology
b. Counseling
c. Written warning to the perpetrator and a copy of it maintained in the
employee’s file.
d. Change of work assignment / transfer for either the perpetrator or the victim.
e. Suspension or termination of services of the employee found guilty of the
offence

6. In case the complaint is found to be false, the Complainant shall, if deemed fit,
be liable for appropriate disciplinary action by the Management.

VIII. CONFIDENTIALITY:

The Company understands that it is difficult for the victim to come forward with a
complaint of sexual harassment and recognizes the victim’s interest in keeping the
matter confidential.

To protect the interests of the victim, the accused person and others who may report
incidents of sexual harassment, confidentiality will be maintained throughout any
investigatory process to the extent practicable and appropriate under the
circumstances.
IX. ACCESS TO REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS:

All records of complaints, including contents of meetings, results of investigations and

other relevant material will be kept confidential by the Company except where disclosure
is required under disciplinary or other remedial processes.

X. PROTECTION TO COMPLAINANT / VICTIM:

The Company is committed to ensuring that no employee who brings forward a

harassment concern is subject to any form of reprisal. Any reprisal will be subject to
disciplinary action.

The Company will ensure that victim or witnesses are not victimized or discriminated
against while dealing with complaints of sexual harassment.

However, anyone who abuses the procedure (for example, by maliciously putting an
allegation knowing it to be untrue) will be subject to disciplinary action.

XI. CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, the Company reiterates its commitment to providing its women employees,
a workplace free from harassment/ discrimination and where every employee is treated
with dignity and respect.
 FORM OF GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL
ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT

DATE:

Name of the Employee:

Emp. No. Designation:

Department / Section :

Whether it is first grievance or that it

Has already been dealt with:

Whether any dispute is pending before

The Conciliation Officer, Labour Court
Or Industrial Tribunal on same issue: Yes / No

Present Grievances :

Relief sought for :

SIGNATURE OF THE EMPLOYEE

 ANNUXURE – A
PROCESS FLOW CHART OF GRIEVANCE SETTLEMENT ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT
VICTIM RAISES CONCERN

Complaint over harassment incident

CHAIRPERSON.
COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE
(Head – HR)

Preferably within 30 days from

receipt of complaint

COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE Concern Dismissed

Comprising of
Head-HR & Process Owner of the issue &
Members as stated STOP

Accused person

Detailed Investigation

Report Preparation

COMPANY HEAD & HR

Initiative

Decision on Action to be
taken

YES
NO
Accused Concern -Corrective Action
exonerated proved ? – Preventive Measures