Sexual harassment

THE revised Central service conduct rules approved by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) lay down that government employees promising preferential treatment or threatening detrimental treatment to women on the job front will be held accountable for sexual harassment. It has been made clear that implied or explicit promise of preferential treatment and threat of detrimental treatment about future employment status will be considered sexual harassment also. If a government employee interferes with a female colleague’s work or creates a hostile environment and metes out humiliating treatment affecting her health and safety, he will also be accused of sexual harassment. The definition of a workplace has been spelt out. It includes in its purview any department, organization, undertaking, establishment, office, enterprise, branch or unit established which are owned, controlled or funded substantially by the Central government. The work places will also include hospitals, nursing homes and sports institutes. Besides, transportation provided to go to work will be deemed to be a workplace and any misdemeanour with female employees in the vehicle will be sexual harassment.
The new rules apply only to Central government organizations. It may be presumed that they will be extended to state government offices as well. But they leave out the private sector where sexual harassment is far from unusual. It is rampant in BPOs and call centres. The threat of a detrimental environment may lead a number of women employees to protest. But not so the promise of preferential treatment. In many cases, they willingly accept it. Male bosses do it in a subtle manner and get away with it. If something happens during transportation, that is hushed up to protect the reputation of the women victims. Finally, the code of conduct does not prescribe penalties.