Workplace sexual harassment complaint: Internal Committee, Local Committee and SHe-Box
Author: LawSphereX
Category: Employment & Labour Law
Published:
Updated:
A woman seeking to report workplace sexual harassment should identify the Internal Committee (IC) or Local Committee (LC) responsible for the complaint, preserve relevant records and check the filing period promptly. A general HR conversation, grievance email or portal entry should not be assumed to complete every requirement under the workplace sexual harassment law.
Identify the responsible committee
The 2013 Act provides for an Internal Committee at covered workplaces and a Local Committee route in specified situations, including establishments with fewer than ten workers or a complaint against the employer. Ask for the applicable committee's current contact and submission process. The statutory route is more specific than simply finding any person with an HR job title.
Record who supplied the committee details and when. If no clear contact is displayed, ask the employer or the relevant district administration for the appropriate information. Do not assume the absence of an obvious intranet link means there is no remedy, or that an informal assurance is equivalent to a committee acknowledgement.
Check the time limit without waiting for an informal outcome
Section 9 provides an ordinary three-month complaint period from the incident, or the last incident in a series, with a possible further extension of up to three months for recorded reasons where circumstances prevented filing. That extension is not automatic. Obtain assistance promptly if time has passed or you are unsure how the period applies.
The law also provides for assistance in reducing a complaint to writing where needed. If you are seeking help, make the request clear and preserve its date. Do not delay merely because you do not yet have every supporting document organised; ask the responsible committee how to submit the complaint and supplementary material properly.
Write a factual account and preserve records
- Describe each relevant incident in chronological order.
- Identify dates, places, people involved and witnesses where known.
- Separate direct knowledge from information received from someone else.
- Preserve relevant messages, emails and other original records.
- Explain any immediate workplace concern and the action requested.
Use a private chronology rather than repeatedly retelling the account in public channels. A practical attachment index can list the date, file name and relevance of each item. Do not edit an original message to make it shorter; provide an explanatory copy while retaining the complete original. If exact wording is uncertain, say so instead of presenting a reconstruction as a quotation.
Understand the role of SHe-Box
The Government's description of SHe-Box explains a platform for committee information and registration and monitoring of workplace sexual harassment complaints. The official government access page links the service. Check the current portal instructions and keep the acknowledgement and any referral details.
A portal status is not itself a finding on the allegations or a guarantee that every procedural step is complete. Confirm which committee has the complaint and what communication follows. If a separate employer policy offers a broader grievance route, ask how it relates to the statutory process rather than assuming the two systems are interchangeable.
Keep confidentiality and safety in view
The Act contains confidentiality requirements concerning complaint and inquiry information. Avoid publishing identities, the complaint packet or inquiry material on social media. Share information through the appropriate process and seek advice about necessary disclosures. Keep evidence accessible to you without exposing it through a shared public folder or a widely forwarded message.
Where the conduct may also involve a criminal offence or immediate danger, the workplace process is not a replacement for appropriate police assistance. Our police-reporting guide explains reporting distinctions, and the legal-aid guide explains assistance routes. This guide does not assess an allegation, determine jurisdiction or predict an inquiry outcome.
Official sources and scope
Sources checked on 2026-11-05. This educational guide was prepared by LawSphereX; it does not claim individual legal advice or professional review.