WebHR

POSH: preventing sexual harassment at work

The internal committee every employer with 10 or more employees must have, the complaint and inquiry timelines, the annual report and the ₹50,000 penalty.

Applies to:
All India (Central)
For:
HR, Leadership, Employees
Last reviewed:

At a glance

ItemRequirement
LawSexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and its 2013 Rules
Internal Committee (IC)Every workplace with 10 or more employees, at each office or unit
MembersAt least four: a senior woman employee as presiding officer, two employees, and one external member from an NGO or with experience in the field; at least half women; a term of up to three years
ComplaintWithin 3 months of the incident (extendable by 3 months for good reason)
InquiryCompleted within 90 days; report within 10 days after; employer acts within 60 days of the report
Annual reportIC to the employer and the District Officer each year (commonly filed by 31 January)
PenaltyUp to ₹50,000; double for a repeat, and risk to the business licence

What the employer must do

  • Adopt a written policy and display the IC’s members and the complaint procedure at the workplace.
  • Hold awareness sessions for employees and orientation for IC members.
  • Give the IC what it needs to hold inquiries, and act on its recommendations.
  • Keep complaints and proceedings confidential.
  • Cover everyone at the workplace — employees, trainees, interns, visitors and contract staff.
  • Workplaces with fewer than 10 employees and domestic workers are served by the district’s Local Committee.
In WebHR

WebHR’s compliance calendar adds the POSH annual report each year, so it is tracked with the other filings. Publish the policy and the IC’s details to employees through Workplace → Documents or Announcements.

Due dates

WhatWhenHow often
POSH annual report to the District OfficerEach year (commonly by 31 January for the calendar year)Annual

If a due date falls on a holiday, the authority’s own rule for the next working day applies. Full compliance calendar

References

  1. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 (India Code)
  2. SHe-Box — Ministry of Women and Child Development
  3. L&L Partners — POSH rules, timelines and penalties

Related

Plain-language guidance for HR teams, not legal advice. Checked against the sources above on 29 September 2026; the notification or your authority’s portal is final. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.