Rethinking Workplace Safeguards Beyond POSH

Recent incidents in corporate environments have triggered an important question — Are our current workplace safeguard mechanisms sufficient, or do they need to evolve with changing social dynamics?

While POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) frameworks have played a critical role in ensuring safer workplaces, it is debatable on whether they fully address complex interpersonal situations — particularly those involving power dynamics, emotional influence, or potential coercion within workplace relationships.

Rather than focusing only on harassment after it occurs, organizations may need to strengthen preventive and ethical frameworks, such as:

✔ Tighter BGV systems using a central database of employment history (Nasscom initiated this but got lost over time) ✔ Clear policies on workplace relationships, especially in reporting hierarchies ✔ Stronger emphasis on informed consent and absence of coercion ✔ Mandatory disclosure norms for conflicts of interest ✔ Behavioural training that goes beyond compliance, focusing on ethics and boundaries ✔ Robust, confidential reporting and counselling mechanisms

The goal is not moral policing, but ensuring transparency, dignity, and psychological safety for all employees, irrespective of background.

Would value your perspectives on these points:

→ Are current POSH frameworks enough? → Is it restricted to this incident or is it wider? → Should organizations introduce POLJ (Prevention of Love Jihad) training to women employees for their better protection? (regret using “Love Jihad” but made to believe it exists) → Should organizations introduce broader — Workplace Relationship & Ethics — policies? → What practical guidelines can prevent misuse of influence or vulnerability?

About the Author

Kishore Kumar Mukku is a Banking Technology Leader from India with over 24 years of experience in Digital Banking Transformation, Payment Systems, Regulatory Technology, and Enterprise Application Support. He currently leads Banking COE initiatives focused on scalable and resilient banking infrastructure.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kishoremukku