PoSH Policies Need To Extend Beyond Gender To Protect All Employees: Kelp CEO Kapoor

Kelp, a leading player in workplace safety and inclusivity, is spearheading efforts to integrate robust safety protocols with PoSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) frameworks. Kelp Co-founder and CEO Smita Shetty Kapoor emphasises, “Safety protocols must be woven seamlessly into both PoSH and DEI frameworks, ensuring that employee well-being is holistically addressed.”

In an exclusive interview with Bizz Buzz, Kapoor shares how Kelp is transforming workplace culture by focusing on both physical and psychological safety. She stresses the importance of comprehensive policies that address harassment across all employee groups while fostering an inclusive environment. Kapoor also discusses the need for year-long training calendars and the establishment of employee support systems, such as counseling and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), to promote mental health and inclusivity

How do you envision the integration of safety protocols with PoSH and DEI initiatives to create a comprehensive approach to employee well-being in the workplace?

Workplace safety is a basic necessity in organizations. Safety does not only refer to physical safety but also refers to psychological safety. Both are equally important for an employee to work authentically in an organization. When safety is ensured employees are empowered to work to their complete potential, express opinions without fear of judgment, take risks, and innovate.

Safety protocols must be woven seamlessly into both PoSH and DEI frameworks, ensuring that employee well-being is holistically addressed. To ensure workplace safety from a DEI lens, it is necessary to sensitize employees about vital concepts like privacy, consent, and healthy boundaries.

PoSH frameworks need to go beyond gender with anti-harassment policies extended to every employee, acknowledging the physical and psychological safety of diverse groups. This includes making sure that workplaces are not only safe from harassment but also accessible to individuals with varied needs, fostering a truly inclusive environment. A strict zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of harassment should be the foundation, but creating a culture where safety and respect are universal must go beyond compliance, becoming part of the organization’s core values.

Most importantly the concept of Workplace safety should be ingrained in all senses of safety within the employer and employees. It has to come from individual and as a community. While creating workplace culture community welfare methods should be kept in mind so that everyone collectively trats the workplace as a safe space. Trainings should be conducted for all levels for maintaining collective and individual safety. People should understand how to be good bystanders and also learn how to set and understand boundaries within the navigation of work place friendships.

What strategies have you observed or implemented to empower employees to actively participate in shaping their workplace safety and inclusivity, beyond traditional top-down approaches?

Moving beyond compliance, organizations need to empower employees to play an active role in shaping a culture of safety and inclusivity. Though inclusion and safety should be modelled by leaders of an organization, to achieve inclusion in its true sense, it is essential to have representation from diverse social groups at varied levels, whose inputs need to be considered while framing the DEI and PoSH policies.

One key strategy is understanding that DEI and PoSH are continuous processes and establishing year-long PoSH and DEI calendars, which ensure that training is not a one-off event but an ongoing, structured process that employees engage with consistently. Promoting allyship and forming employee support groups can also foster a participatory culture. These groups provide a platform for employees to raise awareness and address issues like bias, discrimination, and harassment, making them co-creators in the organization's safety and inclusion efforts rather than passive participants.

As industry best practices we often see leadership involving themselves and creating specific trainings for specific stakeholders (Example, a simple POSH training is not so simple and it is very thorough and nuanced. We encourage people to go for trainings for Managers and Leaders, IC members, Employees etc. Even for Employees a refresher training every year is also very important to constantly communicate the message of Safe and Inclusive workplace). It also helps to provide counselling and ERG support systems for the employees.

In what ways can industries incorporate mental health support services into their POSH and DEI frameworks to address psychological safety concerns in the workplace?

Mental health support is a critical component of both PoSH and DEI frameworks because an inclusive organization understands that mental well-being is directly linked to an employee's ability to perform and feel safe. Offering confidential counselling services, creating employee support groups, and fostering a buddy system are all essential measures. Additionally, managers and HR teams need training in sensitivity and mental health awareness, as they often serve as the first line of support in distressing situations. When employees encounter conflicting situations, they should be trained in bystander intervention to diffuse the situation and minimize the impact on mental health. Also, its important for organizations to provide a helpline for mental health emergencies.

In the context of PoSH, it's vital to provide counselling not just to complainants but to all parties involved during an inquiry, ensuring their mental well-being is safeguarded throughout the process. This also helps mitigate retaliation and manages the emotional fallout that can arise in sensitive cases.

Can you discuss the role of industry associations or regulatory bodies in setting standards and guidelines for POSH and DEI practices?

Industry associations and regulatory bodies play a pivotal role in establishing standards that go beyond legal compliance to foster truly safe and inclusive workplaces. Organizations like NASSCOM or SHRM, alongside government bodies like the Ministry of Women and Child Development, provide frameworks that guide companies in implementing robust PoSH and DEI policies. The WCD handbook really provides an amazing guideline for implementation and interpretation of PoSH Act. Courts have time and again interpreted various acts to bring workplace safety by looking at PoSH or DEI in terms of labour welfare legislations. These guidelines ensure not only that organizations comply with the law but also that they are proactive in creating environments where every employee feels safe, respected, and valued. In a globalized world, it’s crucial for organizations to adopt a broad lens, taking into account international best practices for workplace safety and inclusion.

What are the potential risks or pitfalls that industries should be aware of when implementing POSH and DEI measures, and how can they mitigate them?

A major issue while implementing PoSH and DEI measures is that when the implementation is done half-heartedly merely as a check in the box. It is important to know that you are doing this for the creation of workplace safety. It is advised hence not take a straight top down approach and think from the perspective of what an employee must need to feel safe at the workplace.

One more common pitfall when forming PoSH and DEI councils is the lack of diversity among the members themselves. Without diverse representation, it becomes difficult to address the unique needs of different employee groups. Biases and preconceived notions can also infiltrate PoSH Internal Committees if members are not carefully selected and adequately trained in sensitivity and fairness. Thorough screening processes and continuous education for council members are key to avoiding these issues. An inclusive, unbiased council ensures that all voices are heard and that the organization is equipped to handle sensitive cases with care and impartiality.

One should always consult industry experts in workplace safety to ensure a holistic all round development of PoSH and DEI measures and trainings on all should happen with a specific approach to create workplace safety among the people. It has to be well planned and with proper understanding of when to do which training.