Is Your Hospital POSH Compliant? How do you ensure Patient and Staff Safety?

Hospitals work around the clock to protect patients. But are they equally committed to protecting their own employees?

Working round the clock means major footfall and interaction with outsiders as well as among the employees as well. Night duties, shifts, assisting doctors all duties need to be performed diligently but are hospitals diligent enough when it comes to compliance and staff safety under the Posh Act?

Doctors, nurses, receptionists, technicians, housekeeping staff and administrative employees deserve a workplace free from sexual harassment. Not to forget, they face outsiders regularly and in great numbers.

Did you know that the POSH Act, 2013 applies to hospitals, whether government-owned or privately managed. Hospitals with 10 or more employees must constitute an Internal Committee (IC) and fulfil other statutory obligations.

Long working hours, night shifts, close professional interactions and hierarchical working relationships make workplace sensitisation particularly important in healthcare institutions.

There are some very important questions that the hospitals need to introspect and answer:

• Is your hospital's Internal Committee properly constituted?
• Are the details of the IC duly displayed at a conspicuous place?
• Do your nurses and other staff know whom to approach if they face harassment?
• Has your staff including doctors, administrators, nurses, guards been trained under the said act?
• Are you aware of your duties as an employer under the POSH Act?

Nawal Foundation helps hospitals strengthen POSH compliance through employee awareness programmes, Internal Committee training, policy guidance and workplace sensitisation.

A hospital that cares for others must also care for its employees.

Does the POSH Act Apply to Your Beauty Salon? Yes, It Does!

Today beauty salons are no longer small places run by one or two staff alone. Many of them apart from being massive places have branches in various parts of the city. A beauty salon too, is a workplace.

Beauticians, hairstylists, receptionists, therapists and other salon employees deserve a safe and respectful working environment. Just as your staff receives regular trainings to keep themselves upgraded, they need to receive regular trainings and orientations under the POSH Act too.

The POSH Act, 2013 applies to salons, beauty parlours, spas and wellness centres. Even smaller establishments have legal responsibilities to prevent workplace sexual harassment.

In salons, employees interact closely with clients and colleagues. Inappropriate comments, unwanted physical contact, repeated personal advances or harassment by customers can create an unsafe workplace.

• Does your salon have a POSH policy?
• Do your employees know what to do if a customer or colleague behaves inappropriately?
• Does it have an IC?
• Just as you display the latest trends and offers, have you displayed the information regarding the IC and contact information?
• Have they been trained and oriented under the POSH Act?

Where a salon has 10 or more employees, an Internal Committee must be constituted. If your salon has different branches at different locations in a city, even then you are liable to comply with the provisions of the POSH Act.

One unfortunate incident of workplace harassment can ruin the name and image of the salon that you have build in years. In some cases, non- compliance can even lead to cancellation of licenses. In order to prevent any such mishappening, ensure that your salon is POSH compliant and ensures the safety of the clients as well as the staff.

Nawal Foundation supports salon owners through simple POSH awareness sessions, staff sensitization, compliance guidance, providing external member and Internal Committee training.

Beauty begins with confidence. Confidence begins with safety.

Make your salon a safer workplace with Nawal Foundation.

Is Your College Truly POSH Compliant? An Internal Committee Alone Is Not Enough.

Colleges and universities are centres of education, opportunity and professional growth. They must also be places where women feel safe and respected. Many colleges witness huge influx of teachers and students. Apart from this there are also various supporting staff employed in a college, guards, wardens, canteen and cafeteria staff, electricians, drivers etc.

The POSH Act, 2013 applies to educational institutions. Higher educational institutions must also consider the UGC Regulations, 2015, which establish specific requirements concerning sexual harassment of women employees and students.

Faculty members, administrative employees, research scholars and students may face inappropriate behaviour, misuse of authority, unwanted advances or harassment in academic settings.

• Does your college have a properly constituted Internal Complaints Committee?
• Do faculty members and students know about it?
• Have its members received appropriate training?

Merely displaying committee members' names is not enough to create awareness.

Nawal Foundation supports higher educational institutions through POSH awareness programmes, faculty development workshops, student sensitisation, Internal Committee training and compliance guidance.

Education creates knowledge. A safe campus creates confidence.

Partner with Nawal Foundation to strengthen campus safety and POSH compliance.

Does Your Coaching Institute Need POSH Compliance?

When we think about workplace safety, coaching centres and training institutes are often overlooked.

However, teachers, counsellors, administrative staff, receptionists and other employees working in coaching institutes are also entitled to protection under the POSH Act, 2013.

This applies to competitive examination coaching centres, language institutes, computer training centres, vocational institutes and other educational establishments.

• Does your institute have a POSH policy?
• Are your teachers and staff aware of what constitutes workplace sexual harassment?

An institute with 10 or more employees must constitute an Internal Committee. Appropriate awareness and prevention measures are important for institutions of every size. Today the coaching centres are a professionally run institutions with a massive workforce. They have great number of students attending the classes from morning till evening. Apart from the regular students and teaching and non- teaching staff these ecntres also experience walk in customers and hence this poses a great threat to a sound workplace atmosphere.

Nawal Foundation helps coaching centres develop safer working environments through staff awareness programmes, management sensitisation and POSH compliance support.

An institution that prepares students for the future must also protect the people who teach them.

Connect with Nawal Foundation for POSH awareness and compliance guidance.

Does Your Showroom Need an Internal Committee Under the POSH Act?

A large showroom may not look like a corporate office, but it is still a workplace governed by the POSH Act, 2013.

Nowadays, showrooms are no more ordinary. Today, we witness huge showrooms which are multi storied. Even the basic stores are so more simple. Furniture showrooms, automobile showrooms, electronics stores, home furnishing outlets, jewelry showrooms and large retail establishments employ sales executives, receptionists, cashiers, managers, housekeeping workers and support staff.

Employees may face inappropriate comments, unwanted advances or harassment from colleagues, supervisors or customers. Harassment may be of different form as described in the act and yet it often goes unnoticed in these places. Moreover, majority of the people think that the said act is only for corporate giants and not for their showrooms. One needs to keep the basic concept in mind that any organization with more than 10 employees false under the jurisdiction of this act. If the showroom has different outlets, then the total number of employees will be seen as a cumulative number of employees, together of all the employees. Hence, there is no manner in which a showroom or a retail outlet can evade its liability under the act.

• If your showroom has 10 or more employees, have you constituted an Internal Committee?
• Are your sales staff aware of the POSH Act?
• Are your policies displayed clearly? Are your staff members aware of this act?

Providing a safe working environment is a legal responsibility, not merely an HR formality. Just as you run your outlet or showroom on certain policies and compliance, POSH too, is one such legal compliance to ensure a safe workplace.

Nawal Foundation helps showroom owners and management teams understand their POSH obligations through practical training, staff awareness workshops and compliance support.

A successful showroom values not only its customers but also the dignity of its employees.

Contact Nawal Foundation to make your showroom POSH compliant.

Does the POSH Act Apply to Your Restaurant or Café?

Yes. Restaurants, cafés, bakeries and cloud kitchens are workplaces under the POSH Act, 2013. Post covid we have seen a great surge in café and restaurants but have we ever thought that even the restaurant you own or where you go to spend some casual time comes under the POSH Act?

Chefs, servers, receptionists, kitchen assistants, delivery coordination staff and managers all deserve a safe working environment.

Busy service hours, late shifts, close working spaces and customer interactions make employee sensitisation particularly important.

Do your employees know what workplace sexual harassment means?

Do they know where to complain if a colleague, supervisor or customer behaves inappropriately?

Restaurants and cafés with 10 or more employees must constitute an Internal Committee. Smaller establishments also have responsibilities under the law.

Nawal Foundation supports food businesses through practical POSH awareness sessions, management orientation and workplace compliance guidance.

Good service begins with a team that feels safe and respected.

Connect with Nawal Foundation for POSH training at your restaurant.