Synopsis
An IT employees' body has urged the Labour Ministry to audit Tata Consultancy Services for sexual harassment compliance. This follows allegations from eight female employees at a Nashik office. The organization also called for a broader state-level audit of IT firms in Maharashtra. TCS has suspended employees involved and stated a zero-tolerance policy. Police are investigating the complaints.The letter to labour ministry comes in the backdrop of charges of sexual harassment and allegations on forced religious conversion by eight female employees at TCS' office in Nashik -- an incident that has drawn sharp scrutiny and raised serious concerns.
NITES urged the ministry to take "immediate and decisive action" by directing a comprehensive and time-bound audit and inspection.
India's largest IT services company had, on Sunday, said the firm has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, confirming the suspension of employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at its Nashik office.
Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), in a letter to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, has pushed for a detailed audit of POSH -- Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the workplace -- compliance in TCS across all its establishments, including constitution, independence, and functioning of internal committees.
The IT employees' body has also demanded examination of all complaints of sexual harassment received, pending, or disposed of within the organisation (TCS) over the past several years, along with action taken, while calling for assessment of the role and accountability of Human Resources personnel and senior management in handling complaints and ensuring a safe workplace.
It also demanded "verification of whether employees were discouraged from reporting complaints or subjected to retaliation".
NITES has also highlighted the need for "a wider state level audit of POSH compliance across IT and ITES companies operating in Maharashtra, especially large multinational organisations."
It also called for issuance of strict directions fixing accountability on employers and management for failure to ensure a safe, lawful, and dignified workplace.
"The employees of this country contribute immensely to the growth of the IT sector and to the economy at large. They deserve workplaces that are safe, respectful, and compliant with the law," NITES said.
It added, "We, therefore, request the ministry to treat this matter with utmost urgency and seriousness, not only to address the present case but also to ensure that such incidents do not recur anywhere in the country".
Last week, the police formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the complaints lodged by eight employees, who claimed that senior colleagues mentally and sexually harassed them, and the human resources department turned a deaf ear to their complaints. The police have since arrested seven people, including the company's female HR manager.
The company, in a statement, said, "TCS has a long-standing zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form. We have always ensured the highest standards of safety and well-being of our employees at the workplace. As soon as we were made aware of the matter in Nashik, we took swift action."
The employees being investigated have been suspended pending enquiry, the company's spokesperson said, adding that the firm is cooperating with local law enforcement authorities and any further action will be based on the conclusion of this investigation.
