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Work from home brings virtual sexual harassment home too

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Kamini Mathai
TNN
Jun 24, 2020, 13:24 IST

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As complaints of harassment rise in work from home situations, firms need to review their internal policies
Employee shows up shirtless to a virtual meeting with his manager, a woman. In another instance, an employee takes screenshots of his female colleague, at a third,
a manager insists that his colleague, a woman, attend an impromptu 11pm meeting and insists on her turning her video on and then proceeds to berate her when she
refuses. When she finally does, she realises he is intoxicated.

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The lockdown has not only moved the workplace to homes, but in some cases the harassment as well, say human resource consultants. Since March, when Covid-19
forced the country to stay indoors, it also compelled companies to shift to work from home (WFH) mode. But with it have also come a new set of challenges — rise
in complaints of virtual harassment.
“Home is an extended workplace now,” says Viji Hari, who runs Chennai-based HR consultancy firm KelpHR. March survey findings by global research firm
Gartner found that 88% of organisations world over have encouraged or required employees to work from home and that nearly 75% plan to move at least 5% of
their previously onsite workforce to permanently remote positions post-Covid19, which would mean that it is imperative that companies re-look at what constitutes a
workplace and by extension what constitutes workplace harassment.
Viji says that since the lockdown her firm has received several complaints of virtual harassment and has begun conducting Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH)
sensitisation workshops for the remote work culture with companies in the past few months. Training includes sessions on what is appropriate in the context of a
video call as well as dress codes.
Chennai-based Saundarya Rajesh of diversity and inclusion firm Avtar, says harassers prey on the insecurity of individuals. “With Covid19, there is an
overwhelming sense of job insecurity and this can lead to more harassment. It is crucial that organisations review their POSH policies,” she says.
What is POSH?

The Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, 2013 defines harassment as ‘any unwelcome, sexually determined physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct’

What can be construed as virtual harassment

Personal comments on the person’s social media handles; inappropriate emojis and messages; stalking, both physical and virtual; threatening about performance
ratings; insisting on video calls well after office hours; inappropriate or sexist jokes to ‘lighten’ the mood; not maintaining a dress code during video conferences and
calls; undefined work hours

In their 2019 survey on “Reach and Impact of Sexual Harassment Policies in India”, Pink Ladder, which works to improve the gender diversity ratio in companies,
found that 56% of respondents believed workplace harassment had increased over the years. Pink Ladder spoke to 200 women from 80 organisations across
Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi.
“Also, when it comes to physical harassment not many are willing to come forward. With digital harassment the numbers may be lower because women won’t have
the confidence that it will be dealt with seriously,” says Karthik Nagendra, co-founder of Pink Ladder. In their survey, more than half the women said they had been
subject to sexual harassment in the form of jokes, gestures and comments. And while 80% said they were aware of policies against sexual harassment, 30% said they
would hesitate to complain.

Nirmala Menon of inclusions solutions firm Interweave Consulting, says some of the complaints that have cropped up in the past few months include video calls at
odd times, inappropriately or under-dressed colleagues, managers compelling employees to join in ‘night suit’ zoom parties, taking video calls lying on a couch or
bed and so on. “We have even had a case during the lockdown, where a male employee has stood outside the home of his female colleague and taunted her, begged
her to meet him and harassed her,” says Viji.
“People also need to be sensitised on crossing boundaries in text messages. A remark made in person can hold different meaning from when it is conveyed over
text,” says Menon. But while the complaints of virtual harassment are coming in, it has also made evidence gathering easier, says Karthik. “Employees have taken
screenshots, recorded meetings, and so on, as proof,” he says.

WFH is a challenge for companies and issues like sexual harassment don’t get priority. The only way forward is to sensitise people

Kanti Joshi, lawyer

On the other hand, says lawyer Kanti Joshi, filing complaints is more difficult in a WFH scenario due to lack of awareness. “We need to take consent in writing that
all concerned are on board and take written declarations that there are no recording devices,” says Kanti. “Inperson meetings are not possible and therefore there are
even more hurdles in the path to resolution than earlier,” says Kanti, founder of SASHA (Support Against Sexual Harassment). Kanti says several organisations have
put their ongoing inquiries on hold, while others are conducting proceedings online. But she adds that in most cases, inquiries are delayed as people don’t want to be
questioned with family around. “Work from home is a huge challenge for companies and unfortunately, issues like sexual harassment don’t take priority. The only
way forward is to sensitise people on what constitutes harassment in this new world,” says Kanti.

Mumbai: Sexual harassment goes online, complaints pour in

Illustration: Shinod Akkaraparambil

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Middle Class
1006 3994 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
13 days ago

Non sense... Sometime a women will consider Harassment because of her huge Ego

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Bharath
7169 17831 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
13 days ago

Just Ask her to get Lost... Work Done Yaar.

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Mamatha Shetty
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9 days ago

@Middle Class, you are truly A THIRD CLASS!

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Nimi Shah
4171 829 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
13 days ago

Check Properly. Most of the perverts are employed in TCS, Infosys largest recruiter of Perverts. Majority of Managers are pervert. These companies hire good
looking white skinned sexy girls in campus selection. many girls in these companies do sexual favors to earn more money and travel foreign countries. Please don't
call it sexual harassment. It's a normal business in these two companies.

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Stuti Verma
477 4523 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
13 days ago

Girls also give consent tabhi hota hae ye sab.

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2 0 Flagged

Bharath
7169 17831 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
13 days ago

Nimi, how u know ? I am vouching for you anyway..... ..I know very well and u forgot about but it is non of others business !

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0 0 Flagged

Yuddhistir
11 days ago

U r ugly so u didn't get onsite..

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Nimi Shah
4171 829 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
10 days ago

I Didn't get On-site.Because I'm not an IT professional.But Before Corona I used to Travel Foreign Countries in Every 2-3 month. So I'm simply tired of travelling.

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Sane Voice
8605 16395 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
11 days ago

Looks like you haven't got selected in these companies. Hence say nonsense like this

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Nimi Shah
4171 829 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
10 days ago

Ha Ha.. Sane You are lol.. insane.. Being Selected in Such Rouge companies is a curse. Nonsense is being selected In this company.

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Deje je
4026 974 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
13 days ago

Highly hyped article . There could be less than 0.0001 percent of such incidences... that too companies they do not have policies to prevent it.

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15 1 Flagged

shekhar singh
59 191 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
9 days ago

I see the comments like shame, but actually it is the shamelessness of women in our country. constitution has given them power, they started misusing it. now they
can't fake MeToo or some fake complaint, now this kind of articals are published. the stats shows it self. 78% of molestation cases are fake. vist ncrb.gov.in for more
details. it's just a escape goat to not to work from home either. I thanks to God that in my team there is no female employee. and look forward I am never gonna
recruit one. ... Read More

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0 0 Flagged

Mamatha Shetty
1561 3439 more points needed to reach next level. Know more about Times Points
9 days ago

Hyped? Yeah! You wouldn't have faced any such things in your life, U must be a male as I can't make out with your name! Whichever is the percentage, do you
know what that % of females have to go through. Watch crime petrol which are true stories, you will come to know how the females are treated in office, in their
own house, where their own parents sell them, etc., If you don't have compassion for the other gender, at least keep quiet! And you have huge no. of supporters here!
That's why this ... Read More

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Middle Class13 days ago

Non sense... Sometime a women will consider Harassment because of her huge Ego

Reply2112

Nimi Shah13 days ago

Check Properly. Most of the perverts are employed in TCS, Infosys largest recruiter of Perverts. Majority of Managers are pervert. These companies h...

Reply195

Deje je13 days ago

Highly hyped article . There could be less than 0.0001 percent of such incidences... that too companies they do not have policies to prevent it.

Reply151

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