Legal Requirements– Here are the important pointers that must be kept in mind while drafting sexual harassment policy:
- The policy should be in consonance with the need of the organization: Assessment of different workplace settings in an organization is important before starting work on a sexual harassment policy so that possible scenarios in which workplace-related harassment can occur can be assessed and covered.
- One of the legal requirements is that policy should be in consonance with the ideology of the organization: The management and relevant company officers should take a consistent management stance on sexual harassment in light of the act for the necessity of compliance with the law and risks.
- The policy should be in consonance with the provisions of the new Act: In a number of companies that we have worked with, it is found that the organizations are blindly “copy-pasting” the policies adopted by some foreign organizations or copying from each other. Although, the basic principles of anti-sexual harassment law remain the same throughout the world, and there is no harm in considering the best practices of the industry globally.
- The language should be concise, clear and written in simple language with examples: While drafting an effective policy, one should remember that the policy will be uniformly applicable to all the employees, which might include the working class, blue-collared workers, drivers or janitors in the organization.
- The policy should cover all the entire essential points required to make a watertight policy.
