POSH practical guide
Complaint and inquiry timeline
Finin2min operating guidance linked to the Act, Rules and current official implementation material.
| Step | Central time rule |
|---|---|
| Complaint | Within 3 months of incident/last incident; committee may extend by up to 3 further months for recorded reasons. |
| Copy to respondent | Within 7 working days under Rule 7. |
| Respondent reply | Within 10 working days of receipt under Rule 7. |
| Inquiry | Complete within 90 days. |
| Inquiry report | Provide within 10 days of completion. |
| Employer/District Officer action | Within 60 days of recommendation. |
| Appeal | Within 90 days of recommendation. |
Workflow
- Receive and acknowledge without demanding a legally unnecessary format.
- Assist the aggrieved woman where the complaint cannot be put in writing.
- Check forum, limitation and any extension reasons.
- Consider conciliation only on her request and without monetary settlement.
- Serve the complaint, receive response, identify issues and evidence.
- Conduct hearings with quorum and natural justice; control confidentiality.
- Complete inquiry, deliver reasoned report and track action.
- Preserve appeal dates and annual-report data.
Primary provisions
Use the section and rule repository and the source register. Apply State rules, service rules and current forum details before acting.