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Chapter VI - Duties of Employer

Section 19: Duties of employer

Collects the employer's principal preventive and procedural duties: safe workplace, displays, training, committee support, attendance, information, action and criminal-law assistance.

Act No. 14 of 2013Authority: EmployerData reviewed on 17 July 2026

In 2 minutes

Collects the employer's principal preventive and procedural duties: safe workplace, displays, training, committee support, attendance, information, action and criminal-law assistance.

Statutory text

19. Duties of employer.— Every employer shall— (a) provide a safe working environment at the workplace with shall include safety from the persons coming into contact at the workplace; (b) display at any conspicuous place in the workplace, the penal consequences of sexual harassments; and the order constituting, the Internal Committee under sub-section (1) of section 4; (c) organise workshops and awareness programmes at regular intervals for sensitising the employees with the provisions of the Act and orientation programmes for the members of the Internal Committee in the manner as may be prescribed; (d) provide necessary facilities to the Internal Committee or the Local Committee, as the case may be, for dealing with the complaint and conducting an inquiry; (e) assist in securing the attendance of respondent and witnesses before the Internal Committee or the Local Committee, as the case may be; (f) make available such information to the Internal Committee or the Local Committee, as the case be, as it may require having regard to the complaint made under sub-section (1) of section 9; (g) provide assistance to the woman if she so chooses to file a complaint in relation to the offence under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) or any other law for the time being in force; (h) cause to initiate action, under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) or any other law for the time being in force, against the perpetrator, or if the aggrieved woman so desires, where the perpetrator is not an employee, in the workplace at which the incident of sexual harassment took place; (i) treat sexual harassment as a misconduct under the service rules and initiate action for such misconduct; (j) monitor the timely submission of reports by the Internal Committee.

Source transcription: India Code consolidated Act PDF. Check the official source for a live matter.

Rule, authority, record and consequence map

Related Central RuleRule 13: Manner to organise workshops and awareness
Primary authorityEmployer
Core recordPolicy, displays, training attendance, IC support and police-assistance records
Compliance consequenceFailure can lead to section 26 prosecution, workplace liability and governance reporting issues.

Practical example

The employer displays committee details and penal consequences, conducts recurring awareness sessions and gives the committee access to attendance and documents required for inquiry.

Finin2min Q&A

What should an employer or committee do first?

Create the record identified above, check the linked Rule and preserve a dated decision trail. Do not replace the statutory process with an informal HR discussion where the Act applies.

What needs jurisdiction-specific checking?

State rules and notifications, District Officer and Local Committee details, service rules, standing orders, appellate forum and any sector regulator requirements.