Lexfolio

Certificate Course in POSH Law: Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace (Internal Committee Training)

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About Course

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, widely called the POSH Act, requires every employer with ten or more workers to constitute an Internal Committee, train its members, run awareness programmes and report every year. This self-paced Lexfolio certificate course explains the Act and the Rules, 2013 from first principles to practice, with the Supreme Court’s directions in Vishaka, Aureliano Fernandes and the later rulings up to 2026, so that you can sit on an Internal Committee, advise an employer or build a compliance programme with confidence.

What you will learn

  • The constitutional and international foundations of the law, from Vishaka (1997) to the 2013 Act
  • Key definitions: aggrieved woman, employee, employer, respondent, workplace and the extended workplace, and the meaning of sexual harassment
  • Employer duties under section 19 and Rule 13, the annual report, company disclosures, penalties and the SHe-Box portal
  • Composition and working of the Internal Committee and the Local Committee, including the external member and tenure
  • The complete complaint procedure: time limits, conciliation, interim relief, inquiry and natural justice, report, compensation and appeal
  • Confidentiality, false complaints and protection from retaliation
  • Drafting a POSH policy and conducting effective awareness programmes
  • How the Act works alongside offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, through realistic case studies

Who this course is for

Law students, HR professionals, present and future Internal Committee members (including external members), managers and supervisors, compliance officers, and NGO workers who support women at work. No prior legal training is needed; the course starts with the basics and builds to Internal Committee practice.

How the course works

The course has 8 modules with 23 text lessons, each ending with key takeaways, and a short quiz at the end of every module. Lessons include tables, timelines and case studies showing what an Internal Committee should do in real situations. You can study at your own pace on any device.

How the certificate works

  • After completing the lessons, you take an online final test of 30 multiple choice questions, many based on practical scenarios, with a time limit of 45 minutes.
  • The pass mark is 60%. If you do not pass, you can review the lessons and try again.
  • On passing, you receive a Lexfolio certificate of completion with a unique certificate ID, which employers and others can verify online.
  • This is a certificate of completion issued by Lexfolio. It is not a degree, diploma or regulatory qualification, and it does not by itself qualify anyone for appointment to any post.

This course is for education only and is not legal advice. It reflects the law as on 18 October 2026. For a specific situation, consult a qualified professional and check any directions issued by your State Government, District Officer or sector regulator.

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What Will You Learn?

  • Explain the constitutional basis of the POSH law and its development from the Vishaka guidelines to the 2013 Act
  • Apply the definitions of aggrieved woman, employee, employer, respondent, workplace and sexual harassment to real situations
  • Set up a correctly composed Internal Committee and identify when a complaint belongs to the Local Committee
  • Handle a complaint from receipt to final report within the statutory timelines, including conciliation and interim relief
  • Conduct an inquiry that follows the principles of natural justice and write a reasoned inquiry report
  • Apply the rules on confidentiality, false or malicious complaints and protection against retaliation
  • Draft a POSH policy and plan awareness and orientation programmes that meet section 19 and Rule 13
  • Prepare the annual report, understand company disclosures and penalties, and explain how the Act interacts with BNS offences

Course Content

Module 1: Foundations of the POSH Law
How India moved from the Vishaka guidelines to a full statute, the constitutional and international rights that the law protects, and a map of the Act and the Rules that you will use throughout the course.

  • From Vishaka to the 2013 Act: why a workplace harassment law
  • Constitutional and international foundations
  • The scheme of the Act and the Rules at a glance
  • Module 1 quiz: Foundations of the POSH Law

Module 2: Key Definitions: Who, Where and What
The definitions that decide whether the Act applies: aggrieved woman, employee, employer, respondent, domestic worker, workplace and the extended workplace, and the meaning of sexual harassment under sections 2(n) and 3.

Module 3: Duties of the Employer, Reporting and Penalties
What every employer must do under section 19 and Rule 13, the annual report and company disclosures, penalties and enforcement, and the Supreme Court's continuing directions in Aureliano Fernandes along with the SHe-Box portal.

Module 4: The Internal Committee and the Local Committee
How the Internal Committee is constituted (Presiding Officer, employee members, external member, gender balance, tenure, fees and removal), how the Local Committee, District Officer and nodal officers work, and how an IC should govern itself in practice.

Module 5: From Complaint to Final Action: Procedure and Timelines
The complete procedure under sections 9 to 13, 15 and 18 and Rules 6 to 9 and 11: filing a complaint, time limits and extension, conciliation, interim relief, the inquiry and natural justice, the report, compensation, employer action and appeal.

Module 6: Confidentiality, False Complaints and Protection from Retaliation
The confidentiality rule in section 16 and its penalty, the limits of action for false or malicious complaints under section 14, and how to protect complainants and witnesses from victimisation.

Module 7: Building a Safe Workplace: POSH Policy and Awareness Programmes
How to draft a POSH policy that complies with Rule 13 and the Act, clause by clause, and how to design and run awareness programmes for employees, managers and Internal Committee members.

Module 8: Practice: Criminal Law Interplay, Case Studies and the Inquiry Report
How the Act works alongside the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, a set of realistic case studies showing what the Internal Committee should do, and how to write a sound inquiry report while avoiding the most common mistakes.

Final Assessment and Certificate
Pass the final assessment with 60% or more to receive your certificate of completion. You have 3 attempts.

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