As the #MeToo movement gained traction and momentum, organizations realized further the need for the effective prevention of, protection against and reprisal of sexual harassment at the workplace. This realization led to the need for seeking out the best-fit legal stance on the matter. 

Law firms thus seems to be much in demand as corporates try to navigate the murky waters of workplace harassment. Legal service providers claim that this has become the single largest source of anxiety and trepidation after GST and related tax issues.

Matters that seem to be in focus and causes for concern include understanding what legal precaution to take for office parties, what training to provide to middle and senior level management with regard to responding to claims of being harassed at work and what actions to take once a situation has been reported.

Partner at law firm Khaitan & Co, Anshul Prakash stated, “The top management is taking active interest in the issue as it may pinch people on the top the hardest. There have been a lot of enquiries on the pre-emptive side as opposed to seeking counsel pursuant to an actual occurrence.” 

The prevention of and action against sexual harassment has moved to becoming more than a dreary administrative task. With names like Nana Patekar, Suhel Seth and Chetan Bhagat in the limelight, people seemed to have suddenly realized the frequency and flippancy related to behavior that is potentially harassing. 

That companies today are trying to address the issue at hand after multiple allegations even against the top-most rungs, is a step forward, albeit delayed. As organizations actively seek legal aid to analyze and upgrade their POSH policies, hopefully the execution and implementation of the same would be carried forth with the same passion.