The office pervert has moved online

Home is supposed to be our safe space an escape from the perils of work and the world But what happens when the work evils come home According to a survey conducted by Bengalurubased firm Upceed Consulting Services among around 300 professionals in July 714 per cent participants felt that work from home WFH doesnt necessarily mean a safer atmosphere as compared to office space and that sexual harassment SH can still happenThe firm which specialises in training corporates on prevention of SH also found that about 289 per cent respondents had come across colleagues or friends complaining of SH since the workplace went online in the past few monthsMost employees also seemed to be unaware of the procedure to follow in case of such instances during WFH The survey captures the fact that corporates are still lagging behind in raising awareness among their employees That is why most participants werent aware how they could contact their internal committee IC during WFH or what information they needed to keep handy in order to file a complaint said corporate lawyer Anupamaa V chief trainer at the firm This then poses a serious question are companies aware and acknowledging the likeability of SH in the virtual work sphere Antony Alex CEO of Rainmaker a Mumbaibased Prevention of Sexual Harassment POSH solutions provider and advocate Sonam Chandwani managing partner KS Legal amp Associates help us decode this issueAnupamaa V Antony Alex and Sonam ChandwaniSexual harassment in WFHAlex believes that the respondents apprehensions can be attributed to the fact that corporations arent investing enough in awareness Many employees are not aware that their actions amount to SH What the perpetrator views as friendly flirtatious behaviour or harmless fun is often viewed as offensive behaviour Many perpetrators also feel that behaviour from behind a digital wall does not amount to SH Chandwani tells us that the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Prevention Prohibition and Redressal Act 2013 has a broad definition of the term workplace covering virtual offices too SH has been defined as acts of a sexual nature that arent welcome This would mean any action by coworkers which makes the workspace including virtually uncomfortable whether its through inappropriate verbal physical or digital encounters she addsWhen the survey participants were asked what in their opinion could be a type of SH in the current scenario 801 per cent said wearing inappropriate clothing for calls 796 per cent pointed to sending lewd jokes followed by inappropriate language on work calls and insisting on video calls at odd hours among other instances Post lockdown SH cases in the virtual workplace have shot up Some of the typical instances include insistence on a full body camera view on a video call lewd gestures changing clothes on video call etc Alex explains In one instance he shares a regional sales head of a wellknown MNC insisted his women team members must appear on Zoom in lowcut tops In another case a woman manager insisted on her male subordinate providing her Zoom updates after 11 pm post which shed chat about personal aspects of their lives This was heard by the disciplinary committee and not the IC as its not empowered to hear SH cases filed by men heexplainsWhat the law saysAround 667 per cent employees told Upceed they hadnt been informed about which acts could amount to SH under the law and the companys policy during WFH Chandwani reiterates that any instance of workplace SH is governed primarily by the POSH Act Any form of offensive regressive or discriminatory behaviour would attract the same penal law in WFH as it would in office It may also attract provisions of the IT Act 2000 she elaboratesHave a complaintAccording to Upceeds findings around 652 per cent participants said the management hadnt informed them how to reach the presiding officer of IC in case of a complaint and 659 per cent werent aware of what documents they will need to file a plaint In case an employee wants to file an SH case here are few things to keep in mind according to Alex and Chandwani Gather sufficient evidence mdash screenshots call recordings and witnesses etc Prepare a detailed complaint outlining the instances of SH and attach all relevant proof If possible have a lawyer review your complaint File the complaint with the IC of the company if it doesnt have one file it with the Local Committee in your jurisdiction Do this within three months of the incident Employers should ensure confidentiality of the complainant is maintained throughout the process Women employees can also file a complaint through the SHeBox sheboxnicin a governmentled initiative that provides singlewindow access The complaint is directly sent to the authority concernedAwareness is keyAlex feels that if corporates trained their employees on what constitutes SH then instances would see a marked drop Initially most companies were struggling to cope with the pandemic and werent focussed on the collateral damage of virtual SH However with this becoming the new normal the demand for our online training modules has increased he notes sharing a few pointers for organisations Dont assume WFH is a safe space Workers emulate their leaders So leaders of organisations should repeatedly drive home the message that the company has zero tolerance for any kind of SH at the workplace even virtually Actively invest in training and sensitisation of the workforce Build your organisations brand as a safe place to work it leads to lesser attrition and keeps the employees motivated300People surveyed of which 392 were women 385 men and 223 others714Respondents said they dont think WFH is safer or that SH wont happenKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here 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