POSH Annual Return Filing in Hyderabad: Ensure a Safe Workplace

Updated on October 14, 2025 05:27:40 PM

The POSH Act 2013 mandates all organizations in India employing ten or more employees to make the work environment safe and free from sexual harassment. Under the law, one of the major compliance obligations has been the annual filing of reports by employers detailing adherence to the POSH regulations. It is about ensuring that accountability and transparency features are constructed at the workplace level.

In Hyderabad, the POSH return annually has to be prepared by the IC and submitted to both the employer and the District Officer. The report would comprise vital statistics, including complaints received, complaints resolved, complaints pending, and also concerning awareness programs conducted during the year. The POSH Act does not give a precise date for submission. However, as a general rule, organizations should submit their reports at the end of January of the following year. In case this is not adhered to, there is a possibility that penalties may be imposed to emphasize prompt filing.

India's Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act accords statutory obligations upon workplaces to take positive action by preventing, addressing, and reporting instances of sexual harassment. For organizations located in Hyderabad with 10 or more employees, POSH annual return filing would therefore represent one of the compliance obligations, as they are also seen to work toward the creation of a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace.

The annual POSH return can be tricky for someone new to such a return. For one end, one can pursue an easy way to understand it in a few simplified steps:

  Collect the Required Information   Compile the Report   Review and Ensure Accuracy   Track Status

The procedure for filing the POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) annual return is fraught with problems an organization needs to overcome to achieve compliance smoothly.

• Lack of Awareness and Training: Many organizations are unaware of specific requirements for POSH annual returns, and members of their Internal Committees are often not trained in compliance processes.
• Inadequate Documentation: There is a need for inclusive documentation while submitting the annual return under the act. It must have a list of complaints received, actions taken, and training conducted throughout the year.
• Confidentiality and Sensitivity: To comply while maintaining confidentiality is a difficult balance because the POSH Act demands the privacy of the complainants and the respondents.
• Resource and Time Constraints: Many Internal Committees are constituted with limited resources and time due to the fact that POSH activities form an additional responsibility on top of the regular roles.
• Tracking Training and Awareness Initiatives: Reporting on training and awareness initiatives is another challenge that organizations face regularly as many of them do not have a centralized synergy to assist in tracking those activities.