As the year comes to an end, organisations start working on their final piece of PoSH compliance for the calendar year: the Annual report.
For Gurugram-based organisations, there has been a slight change in plans with the release of the notification from the district officer under the PoSH Act 2013.
On November 4, 2024, the office of the additional deputy commissioner-cum-district officer for Gurugram district released a notification regarding the deadline for filing Annual reports.
Serein’s PoSH and Legal Experts break down what you need to know and what changes for you
What is the annual report?
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH Act 2013) requires employers to submit an Annual Report following the end of each calendar year, discussing the compliances fulfilled by the employer.
The Annual report is filed at a district level and each district has a designated District Officer.
To know more about Annual reports, read here
What does the notification say?
The notification clarified that the deadline for filing Annual reports for the district for this year and every year going forward shall be February 28th of the following year.
Example: The deadline to file the Annual Report for 2024 PoSH compliance will be 28th February 2025.
Who does this impact?
This impacts any employer with 10 or more employees in the Gurugram district, who are required to implement PoSH and file annual reports.
How does this impact employers?
The notification prepones the deadline for filing by two months. Previously, the timeline followed was April 30th of the following year. Hence, this likely means working on the annual report filing process a bit earlier than in the previous few years.
However, the filing timeline for Gurugram is still longer than the annual report deadline for most other districts in India. Now employers will need to start working on the annual reports a little earlier than usual.
What is the consequence of non-compliance with the notification?
Filing the annual report is a mandate under the PoSH law.
The notification states that companies failing to file an annual report within designated timelines shall be penalised with a fine of INR 50,000.
Additionally, the notification states that “strict action” shall be taken against the organisation “in case of non-compliance.”
How can Serein help?
As an end-to-end PoSH compliance partner, Serein can ensure annual report filing is a breeze. We work with you throughout the year to ensure you maintain your PoSH compliance.
To know more, reach out to us at hello@serein.in