What is Sexual Harassment of Woman at Workplace---A Case Study

 Ms. Nimmo, a Manager in the India Office Workplace of a Multinational Corporation, was so excited to invite her Colleagues to attend her marriage Ceremonies at her Parent's Place of Residence, on a Sunday in the Month of January 2022;

The invitees who were cordially invited to attend the traditional Marriage Ceremonies included her Workplace Establishment's Managing Director, her  Superior Senior Manager reporting to and next to the MD, and her Departmental Male and Female Colleagues. The ceremonies were to be solemnized on  Sunday noontime;

The next day on Monday, on reaching his Office by 9.30 a.m., the abovementioned Superior Senior Manager next to the MD, convened a Meeting in the Company’s Conference Room and informed all those Women-Employees who had attended the said Marriage Ceremonies, the previous day, to attend this hastily convened Staff Meeting. 

As soon as the subordinates assembled in the closed-door Conference Room, he started speaking loudly, almost lost his temper, and questioned everyone to explain why none of them greeted the MD and himself when they noticed both of their Superiors there at the Marriage Ceremony Venue, the previous Sunday; and  Why they ignored them-their Superiors and did not follow “Protocol” with Superiors thereby ignoring them, disrespecting them and insulting/humiliating them, both;

The Women-Employees attending the Staff- Meeting were On-Duty during their Working Hours and failed, individually and collectively, to realize what to do; hence kept quiet and offered no Explanation whatsoever.    

He, then, instructed them all to immediately bring to him, the Drafts of Apology Letters prepared by each and every Women-Employee attending the said Staff Meeting, and show them to him, immediately after they return to their Work-Desks. 

Within minutes, one by one, the Woman Employees, went up to him at his Work-Desk to show the Draft Apology Letter which he corrected and returned for making a Final Copy of their Apology Letter to be submitted to him that work Day only. Dutifully, they submitted their Apology Letters to him, before going home off-duty.

In mid-February 2022, the MD received emails addressed to him, from Seven Women-Employees who alleged that they have constantly been subjected to Acts of Sexual Harassment from the aforesaid Superior since they joined their Employment and in course of as well as arising out of their Employment; individually and collectively, including his Forceful, Unwarranted and Humiliating Act of compelling all of them to Draft their Apology Letters, get them approved by him and thereafter submitting to him before the end of their Duty-Hours that Monday after the day of their Colleagues Marriage Function attended by them; 

One of the Aggrieved-Woman-Employee also alleged that  he would hold One-to-one Meetings in the Conference Room where he would unhesitatingly make sexually colored remarks like “When I go to bed, I dream of you only and after I saw you first Day at the Workplace I could not sleep for 3 nights, imagining about you”;

What would you do if you were the Managing Director upon receiving the Emails referred to above, or the Employer or the Head of the Workplace Establishment under reference? 

Please remember, the following before attempting to submit Your Well-Considered Answer, 

What is Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace?  Do the aforesaid incidences or occurrences, Constitute Acts of Misconduct, punishable as per the Provisions of Service Rules as applicable to all the concerned Employees especially the Senior Manager against whom the Sexual Harassment Complaints have been filed?

We shall Value your Comments and Contributing your Perspective, 

We are Ready and Willing to Offer our High Quality Unmatched Service

Harsh K Sharan, XLRI Alumnus,

Co-Founder-Director of Kritarth Consulting Pvt Ltd Team of Spl Educators                         PoSH Workshops for IC Members & For Employees;                                                       Serving Member (External) on Internal Committees  PAN India;                                             8th October 2022;  hksharan@kritarth.in.../ 9560453756..../ shakti@kritarth.in

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