Will you continue with POSH workshops if it were no longer a legal compliance requirement?

In recent weeks, there have been many discussions about the Kolkata rape case, the Badlapur sexual assault cases, and the release of the Justice Hema Committee's findings on the pervasive nature of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry. While these are not isolated cases, they are among the incidents that have caused outrage in recent times. There have been countless other cases, both before and since.

In this edition of #todayinposh, I don’t want to delve into these specific cases, as there has already been much (or perhaps not enough) discourse around them. What stood out, however, was that in both the Kolkata case and the findings of the Hema Committee, rape, murder, sexual assault, and harassment occurred in the workplace.

Therefore, in this edition, I want to ask: Will you continue with POSH workshops if it were no longer a legal compliance requirement?

We all know that sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, that it is pervasive, and that it has existed since women joined workforce. And yet, the most common question raised in almost every workshop is, 

"But how do we protect men and their reputations when there are false accusations?"

While it is a relevant question, and even though data suggests that most women do not file complaints, and that the percentage of false complaints is less than 10% of the actual cases, the concern is often more about the reputation of men.

Rarely does the focus shift to, "How do we protect the reputation of the woman who has come forward with the complaint?" or "How do we make our workplace safer beyond the mandatory training requirements?"

In my years as a POSH consultant, I have often heard comments such as,

"Agar har baat pe woh offence le legi, toh women ko hire karna mushkil ho jayega" or "Ab jokes bhi nahi kar sakte kya?" 

and even statements like, "Men in my team are afraid to talk to women because she might file a complaint," even though data and reports clearly show that most women are afraid to come forward.

I have lost count of how many times organisations have said, "Why do we need to conduct trainings in small batches? POSH is merely compliance."

There has also been much discussion around #notallmen. For me, this is not a men versus women issue, even though – we have curfews and dress codes for daughters, but not for sons.

For me, this is a culture issue. Culture is what is acceptable or even tolerated in your workplace. On many occasions, I have observed both men and women laughing at sexist jokes, especially if they come from men in positions of power. In some cases, these individuals are even applauded.

However, if sexist jokes are tolerated, if derogatory comments on body structure, attire, or sexuality are accepted, if misogyny is allowed, then one POSH training a year will not change the culture of the organisation. It certainly will not make the workplace safe.

When organisations continue to protect perpetrators and question the women raising complaints, no POSH awareness workshop will make a difference in the work environment.

For workplaces to become safe (for everyone), it needs to start with intent. It needs to be intentional. This will require tough conversations and even tougher actions. Organisations can have as many policies in place as they like, but they will not work without intent. It all comes down to what is acceptable and what is not in your workplace.

It’s not all bleak, though. I have seen change. I work with many organisations that take safety and inclusion very seriously, going far beyond the legal requirements. However, such organisations are still few and far between.

So,

Will you continue with POSH workshops if it were no longer a legal compliance requirement?