I am Niyathi, working as a Human Resource Manager in an advertising startup based out of Chennai. We have a team of 20 employees working in tandem to solve the problems addressed by our clients in different scenarios. The team is made up of designers, writers, MIS associates, trainees and HR associates- both male and female. We, as a team of employees along with the operational manager understand the significance of adhering to legal obligations and the responsibilities of each and every person working under the roof.
Even if we are small team of 20, we have lawfully setup an Internal Complaints Committee that addresses various problems of the employees including the sensitive topic of sexual harassment in the workplace. All our employees are trained on the same and we know how to address this problem without making a melee out of it. We underwent a training session conducted by the EducatePOSH team and we now have clarity in vision regarding the roles and responsibilities of the employers and the committee members altogether.
At first, I was naïve about the whole thing and the significance of such training was blatantly overlooked and underestimated. Realization stuck me at the right time when the first of such cases sprung out of the blue. Ms. Gayathri was one of our new recruits and she was with us throughout the period of training and she was aware of the rights of women at the workplace. She knew that harassment of any kind is a violation under the Act and that she could initiate an action if anything at all took place.
She went on to tell me that she was a victim of such an abuse in the place where she used to work prior this place. She was emotionally kept on a leash by her reporting manager who harassed her for a long time and she confessed that it was hard to work under that kind of mental stress. She was scared to open up this issue and she didn’t have the nerve to address it with anyone else. She tried to overcome the trauma caused by the same but she couldn’t. At last she had to take the drastic step of removing herself from the team and she quit on the note that she was about to get married.
She did quit, she ended up finding us and she works with us now. And here and now, she was glad that the discussion was open and everyone who worked along with her were aware about the consequences if anything did come up. She felt free, comfortable and happy in here and she was sure that the same scenario wouldn’t repeat itself. Even if it did, she now had the courage to come out with it and solve the problem without going through an agonizing phase of trauma.
This made her comfortable at least and she was focused to deliver her best at the workplace. And I am happy that I am working on such a place that knows how to address and solve sensitive issues like these without making it a heap of trouble for anyone involved in the same.
This in-situ training and awareness program might seem to be a futile effort, but it does have its own pros that make it an essential in any working environment. It is the collective duty of the members to adhere to the rules and expectations of a progressive and liberal atmosphere. When women feel safe and sound at their place of work, they deliver their best in performance with complete confidence and with a drive to improve. To ignore such a responsibility collectively as a firm or a team would result in unwanted consequences that could hinder the growth of the team. So, as an HR and as a women feeling safe in the workplace, I think it is very important that this kind of training and awareness is provided at any working place to make it a better working environment both legally and consciously.