POLICY AGAINST SEXUAL
HARASSMENT IN THE WORK
PLACE
Sexual Harassment Policy
All state sector institutions should
adopt a policy of eradicating sexual
harassment in the workplace and
should take measures to provide a
remedy to victims of sexual
harassment. This policy should include
the setting up of a Committee in all
state sector institutions to determine
cases of sexual harassment.
What is sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment is one aspect of
discrimination. It is also considered as a
criminal offence in Sri Lanka. Sexual
harassment
includes
unwelcome
6
sexually determined behaviour such as
a physical contact and advances,
sexually coloured remarks, showing
pornography and sexual demand,
whether by words or actions. Such
conduct can be humiliating and may
constitute a health and safety problem;
it is discriminatory when the person
has reasonable grounds to believe that
such person’s objection would
disadvantage
such
person
in
connection with such person’s
employment, including recruitment or
promotion, or when it creates a hostile
working environment.
How to lodge a complaint?
A complaint in this connection should
be lodged in writing and it should be
submitted to the committee to
investigate sexual harassment along
with an affidavit under the signature of
the complainant within a period of one
month from the date of the incident.
This complaint should contain the
following particulars.
Full name and address of the
complainant.
Full name and address of the
respondent.
The charge or details of the
charges
A summarized statement of the
relevant matters.
Committee on Investigating
Sexual Harassment.
It should consist of a fair balance
of representation of men and
women. At least two members
must be women.
This Committee should comprise
a representative from the
management
sector,
a
representative of the trade
unions of employees and an
outsider appointed in agreement