Setting up an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and appointing external members is a crucial step in ensuring compliance with the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act in India which mandated every organisation to have prevention, prohibition and redressal mechanisms of sexual harassment.
What is the role of this committee?
- – Act on complaints of sexual harassment internally, with the powers of a civil court.
- – Maintain documents and records of such complaints.
- – It is a great power and an equally great responsibility.
- – Establish support for victims and ensure non retaliation to all parties involved.
- – Implement measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
- – Ensure timely trainings are conducted for employees, ICC members and senior leadership.
- – Help in continuous improvement of the process and implementation of measures to prevent sexual harassment at workplace.
The PoSH Act mandates that your Internal Committee (IC) has an independent member committed to the cause of prevention of sexual harassment who is not an employee in your organization and is suitably well-versed in the areas of the law and women’s welfare. In addition to being an external member & carrying out committee activities, this person will also help in investigating complaints & ensure un-biased procedure that is thoroughly documented.
So the important questions are :
- Where do you start?
- Who do you pick?
- How do you train them?
- What is the investigation process to be followed?
Lexlevel has you covered
We will help you set up an internal Complaints committee. Additionally, we also have a panel of qualified, diligent, insightful and sensitive individuals who are best suited to fulfil the role of an external member for your organization. We will set up your investigation procedures and equip you with the right set of skills by providing trainings, documentations, necessary materials, based on your organisation’s needs.
Frequently Asked Questions - ICC & External Member Set Up
The ICC is the committee formed by the organization. It deals with complaints related to sexual harassment within the workplace and ensures compliance of the POSH policy.
An ICC usually contains at least three members: an external member of experience in women's rights or any legal matter; a senior female employee from the organization; and a senior representative from management, HR, etc.
An outsider is required to be impartial, transparent, and equitable in processing complaints; one is needed to give a neutral outlook and help preserve the sanctity of the process.
The members of the ICC are selected based on their experience and knowledge in dealing with sexual harassment issues. The external member is usually chosen from an NGO or legal entity experienced in gender-related matters, while internal members are selected by the organization.
The ex-member ensures that the process of investigation is fair and open. They provide experience in law or gender issues and can help the committee make unbiased decisions.