ROLE OF HR IN DEALING WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORKPLACE

Human resource department plays a very crucial role in preventing and redressing sexual harassment at workplace.
 

Prevention activities:

 
1. They help with compliance, create a policy, setup the internal committee and drive awareness campaigns throughout the organization.
 
2. HR also keeps an eye on organization’s culture.
 
3. They always keep an eye on any inappropriate behaviour and speak up and sensitise about it.
 
4. They create all supporting policies like relationship policy, dress code, cab usage, gifting policy all these policies ensure safety of employees and thus prevent harassment of any kind
 
5. Conduct exit interviews to get feedback to improve the company’s work culture.
 

Redressal activities:

1. Redressal involves handling complaints of sexual harassment, HR plays a role in redressal activities as:
 
2. Lot of employees feel comfortable approaching their HR department first to seek help.
 
3. HR plays the supporting role of a fact-finder to PoSH committee while they are inquiring complaints.
 
4. HR with their access to CCTV, employee records, emails and Chats are the go person during inquiry of complaints.
 
5. HR is also the one that implements the recommendations from the PoSH committee.
 
Overall HR ensures that the culture of the organisation is enhanced. They are the process owners and provide a strong backbone for creating a safe and inclusive workplace for every employee.