Women's workplace safety in India struggles with culture, weak enforcement

The recent allegations of harassment and pressure linked to religious conversion emerging from a large information-technology (IT) company are deeply unsettling. What began as a single complaint has expanded into multiple first information reports, arrests, and a widening investigation that points to not just individual misconduct but systemic failure. Several victims allege that complaints were raised internally but were ignored even as the company maintains that no formal complaints were recorded under the relevant rules. This contradiction captures the central dilemma of workplace safety in India: The gap between formal systems and lived experience. Other than disproportionate caregiving responsibilities and pay disparities, inadequate workplace safety also contributes to a gender gap in employment. In fact, a workforce gender gap begins early with women holding just one in three entry-level private-sector roles and only a quarter of managerial positions in India. 

On paper, the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act (POSH) is robust. It mandates internal complaints committees, time-bound redress, and accountability. Corporate disclosures suggest compliance is improving. Across Nifty 500 companies, POSH complaints rose from 1,779 in 2022-23 to 2,583 in 2024-25, with about two-thirds of complaints upheld. In the IT sector, complaints across four major firms rose nearly fourfold in five years, from 106 in 2020-21 to 444 in 2024-25. These reflect a gradual increase in awareness and reporting. And yet, the same data reveals that over 200 large companies reported no complaint, and many others fewer than five. In organisations employing thousands, this is statistically implausible. It suggests not safer workplaces but quieter ones where employees continue to weigh the cost of speaking up. 

For women, that cost remains high. Workplace challenges often begin subtly: Inappropriate remarks dismissed as humour or exclusion from informal networks. Besides, several women are simply not aware of their legal rights. When harassment occurs, reporting is rarely a straightforward decision. It carries risks of retaliation, stalled careers, or social isolation within tightly knit teams. A survey conducted by a Bengaluru-based firm reported that about 34 per cent of IT employees did not feel comfortable raising concern about inappropriate behaviour at the workplace. Even where companies invest in training, committees, and reporting channels, these mechanisms can falter if they are perceived as biased or ineffective, especially when complaints involve senior employees or high performers. 

This is where workplace culture becomes decisive. Many organisations continue to treat POSH as a compliance exercise. But behaviour is shaped less by formal rules than by everyday signals: Whether leadership acts decisively, whether repeat offenders are penalised, and whether employees see consequences applied consistently. There are signs of progress, however. Greater awareness, generational change, and pressure from global clients are pushing companies towards better compliance and transparency. Employees are more willing to report and firms are less hesitant to disclose complaints. Nevertheless, legal frameworks like POSH are necessary but insufficient. Without credibility in enforcement, independence in redress, and a culture that prioritises dignity alongside performance, they risk becoming procedural formalities.