PrezSpeak: If I were to handle Maggi…

Friends,

A PR storm is raging over Maggi noodles with media saying Maggi in thick soup!

We have all handled – and keep handling – crisis in our companies and with our clients.

In this context, I invite all of you to take part in this debate: If I were to handle Maggi….

It may sound like an essay competition. But it is not!

Let us discuss the following issues arising out of the Maggi Soup:

1.    What do you think of the action taken by Nestle?

2.    What would have been your recommendation the day the negative story broke in UP?

3.    What could have been done to prevent spread of negative stories about Maggi in other centres?

4.    Finally, what the lessons for us Communication professionals from this entire episode?

Kindly rush in your responses so that we can compile all comments and come out with a PRCI Case Study on the crisis.

Now, getting back to other issues, I am sure all of us are excited over the prospects of launching PRCI-International. PRCI HQ is eagerly awaiting confirmations of participation in the delegation to Dubai from all Chapters.

Please refer to my previous note – Shining Local, Going Global – for details.

The new academic year for Communication colleges will soon start. Let us start compiling a list of our Guest Faculty Pool with professionals who can be nominated on a voluntary basis to impart practical training to students of BMM and other communication/media/PR students.

Information may be collated in this format:

Sr No	Name and Contacts of Guest Faculty member	Areas of specialization/Interest	Brief	City
	Reshma S Kulkarni Cell no. 9833190174 Email: reshma27@gmail.com	Journalism-related subjects like Editing, Feature writing, Business of Journalism etc	I have been teaching these subjects at MET College Bandra for last 7 years and at Welingkar’s WeSchool Matunga since last 1 year	Mumbai

The eligibility for the Guest Faculty pool is minimum 10 years of professional experience and ability to connect with the students.

So, let us be careful while nominating faculty members to colleges and universities.

It is also our responsibility to check feedback on the faculty that we nominate for which we need to be in constant touch with the colleges/universities.

We can do wonders, as a team PRCI!

Meanwhile, please keep working on the Daughters’ Day programme – as detailed in my previous mail – with focus on Sexual Harassment at Work Place.

Sure, you have all seen the mail sent on May 24, 2015 on Sexual Harassment – Compliance @ PRCI.

Between us and Ms. Geetha Shankar, the Chairperson of the Internal Compliance Committee as per THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND REDRESSAL) ACT, 2013, we shall work out  a draft plan for implementing at all Chapters.

The idea is to make sure that our daughters will be able to work in a congenial atmosphere.

Please do not hesitate to throw questions which we shall get answered by our honorary consultant – Vishal Kedia – whom many of us have seen addressing a session at the 9^th Global Communication Conclave at New Delhi.

PL check the video link.

As I key-in this message, the viewership of PRapport – your favourite emag – has crossed the 4,000 mark. Mr Narendra’s column is a big hit, recording over 225 page views in just two days.

Keep reading , keep writing.

Yours

 

Comply or face jail: must comply with the Sexual Harassment Act

Organisations irrespective whether they have women employees 

or not must comply with the Sexual Harassment Act

How many women face sexual harassment at workplace? It could come in any form from indecent jokes, innuendos, ogling, inappropriate remarks, pictures and, text messaging and MMS. Women do not complain fearing job loss and stigma that one may get as a nasty cribber.  Some organisations even consider this harmless, while refuse to recognize the difference between a compliment and harassment. Do women have to suffer silently? Don’t they have any redressal mechanism? These incidents lead to a cycle of depression for the victim and ultimately lead to loss of morale, motivation and cause under performance and even absenteeism which contributes to a hostile work environment. Aggrieved women even feel insecure and quit jobs while organisations lose trained employees and the time and resources spent on training simply go waste. The government has brought out The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 on 9^th December 2013, but unfortunately most organisations do not seem to be aware of the need to comply with the law. In this interview to PRapport, Vishal Kedia, who has been advising companies thorough his company Complykaro, decodes the law and explains how women need not shy away from asserting their rights.

Question:What is the significance of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law?

Answer:  The Government of India, on the directive of the Supreme Court, has brought out The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 w.e.f. 9^th December 2013 to create a safe, secure and conducive work environment for women.

Vishal Kedia making a special presentation at 9th Global
Communication Conclave on March 14, 2015

Organisation can no longer dismiss workplace sexual harassment with a ‘Chalta Hai’ attitude as it is their responsibility to ensure safety of all women whether employed in their premise or coming in contact with other people within their premises. It mandates that organisations employing 10 or more employees should have Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at each of its location to tackle the complaints of harassment and gender bias.  Failure to comply with the law could lead to heft penalties, imprisonment and even closure of business. In fact a company in Chennai, where a woman complained of sexual harassment, was fined Rs1.68 crores for its failure to comply with the law. 

Question:How does one comply with the law? 

Answer: Apart from the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), every firm needs to formulate an Anti-Sexual Harassment policy and publicise penal consequences of sexual harassment by putting up necessary posters.   All employees – male and female - must be made to undergo sensitization training programme so that they understand what constitutes sexual harassment and their rights and responsibilities as per the law.

Question: Is this law going to safeguard only those who are working in a particular company?

Answer: As per law, management of government offices and every private firm are responsible to ensure that no women (whether she is an employee or not) is sexually harassed within their premises. Even if a women is harassed at a mall, railway station or airport the management of such premises is legally obliged to assist the aggrieved women make a complaint against the accused, if she desires to do so.

Question: Tell us something about the ICC and how the committee needs to function?

Answer: At least 50% of the committee members must be women including the Presiding Officer who must be a woman employed at senior level within the firm.   There must be minimum two other employee members and an external member who is an Advocate or social worker from an NGO or association committed to the cause of women.  Such members must undergo skill training programme.

The ICC is mandatory at each location for any organisation employing 10 or more people, irrespective of men or women.  The companies need to file their compliance statement as part of their Annual Reports.

In case the complaint is against the management itself or in case the firm is a small outfit having less than 10 employees, the law provides for a district level Local Complaints Committee (LCC) setup by the Government for redressal of such complaints.

Question: What if any organisation fails to comply with the law?

Answer: The law is clear. As I said, non-compliance with the law can invite trouble for the managements, from fines to shutting down of businesses. They even face charges of abetment of the crime and criminal prosecution.

Question: Is the law applicable only to companies?

Answer: No. It is applicable to all, including associations, proprietorship, partnership firms, LLP, trust, society, clubs and sports events like marathons and matches, schools, colleges.

Question: What do you think of the awareness levels of the law?

Answer: Unfortunately, not many seem to be aware of the law. A quick survey by the field staff of Complykaro in Mumbai’s business districts of Nariman Point and Parel showed that less than three per cent of the big and small offices are aware of the law and most of even those do not have ICCs at each location or have done training of employees and committee members. That’s a sad situation. But I am happy that increasing number of women employees have now begun to take the issue seriously. They are complaining. My sincere appeal to all companies, groups and management is that they should comply with the law. Sooner the better, else be ready to suffer as women are asserting their rights.