An apparel manufacturing company having a large number of women employees was losing sales due to various factors. The company hired a reputed marketing executive, who increased the volume of sales within a short span of time. However, some unconfirmed reports came up regarding his indulgence in sexual harassment at the workplace. After sometime a women employee launched a formal complaint to the management against the marketing executive about sexually harassing her. Faced with the companies’ indifference, in not taking cognizance of her grievances, she lodged an FIR with the police. Realizing the sensitivity and gravity of the situation, the company called the women employee to negotiate. In that she was offered a hefty sum of money to withdraw the complaint and the FIR and also give in writing that the marketing executive is not involved in the case. Identify the ethical issues involved in this case. What options are available to the women employee?
What the examiner wants
An employee who filed a harassment complaint is offered money to withdraw. Identify issues and her options.
Demand-wise check
- 1Issues: dignity and safety at work, institutional cover-up, bribery to obstruct justice, power imbalance, effect on other women≈50 words
- 2Options: accept money and withdraw; refuse and continue; negotiate settlement with admission; go public≈50 words
- 3Evaluation: refusing and pursuing through ICC and FIR upholds justice; seek support from women's commission and NGOs≈50 words
- 4Company's duty under POSH≈50 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Where marks usually go
- Advising her to accept money
- Ignoring the company's legal duty
Draw this
- Option table: accept money / refuse and pursue ICC+FIR / negotiated settlement / go public, with pros, cons, ethical verdict
Value addition
- LawPOSH Act, 2013 Section 10 allows conciliation only at the woman's request and bars monetary settlement as its basis.POSH Act 2013
- LawOffering money to make a witness withdraw a complaint can amount to criminal intimidation or inducement under the BNS.Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 37 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 33 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 35 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 31 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
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