Sexual harassment victims employed in government will be authorized for 90 days paid leave in the course of inquiry.
The statement comes after there have been complaints of the accused trying to affect or threaten sufferers who have filled out complaints against them.
The Department of Personnel Training released an order stating that “The leave so granted to the aggrieved woman under this rule shall not be debited against the leave account.”
The provision was made under the Sexual Harassment of Females at Work environment (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013–a legislation mandated to provide protection to women against sexual harassment at workplace.
Although the Act contains the provision to allow the leave to the aggrieved woman to a period of three months, the Union government had not yet integrated it into the service rules that regulate leave of its employees. The DoPT has now integrated this provision in the Central Civil Services (leave) Rules, 1972.
