Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Extra leave for harass victims

Extra leave for harass victims

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Jul 16, 2016   modified Modified on Jul 16, 2016
-The Telegraph

New Delhi: Leave of up to 90 days granted to women central government employees who have filed complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace could be in addition to leave they are otherwise entitled to, a circular issued yesterday suggests.

Under Section 12, 1(D), of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, a woman employee has the option of taking leave up to 90 days while the inquiry into her complaint is on. However, the law does not clarify if this is additional leave or is to be adjusted against existing leave the woman is entitled to.

The circular, issued by the department of personnel and training, states that it is "considering issuing instructions" that the leave "may be granted to an aggrieved female government servant on the recommendation of the internal committee or the local committee, as the case may be, during the pendency of inquiry under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. The leave so granted to the aggrieved woman under this rule shall not be debited against the leave account".

Sources said the clarification was driven by women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi, who had earlier pushed successfully to increase maternity leave to 26 weeks.

The department, under the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pension which reports to the Prime Minister's Office, has invited comments before it includes the instructions in the Central Civil Services Act, 1972.

Some employers are concerned that this will encourage misuse of the sexual harassment law. "No internal inquiry committee can deny leave to women who face such harassment. This will not only lead to misuse, but invite frivolous complaints. Also, what about the work that will suffer? There is a provision of transfer in the law and that of optional leave already," said a senior executive in a MNC in Delhi, who did not want to be identified.

The circular comes three days after the personnel department issued an order clarifying that a new draft of the harassment law will allow an official junior to the accused to head the internal committee dealing with sexual harassment complaints.

The clarification came after questions were raised about the seniority of the official who could head the panel probing allegations of sexual harassment against an officer senior to her.

"It is clarified that the committee constituted in terms of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 is legally competent to hold an inquiry into a case irrespective of the fact that the chairperson of such committee is lower in rank to the employee against whom the allegations have been made," the draft said.

According to the act, an internal complaints committee is to be set up at every workplace to deal with sexual harassment cases. It will headed by a woman and at least half of its members should be women.

The Telegraph, 16 July, 2016, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160716/jsp/nation/story_97034.jsp#.V4o8uBL39sA


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close