POSH Annual Return Filing in Mumbai: Ensure a Safe Workplace

Updated on July 11, 2025 10:29:35 AM

The POSH Act, 2013 is landmark legislation intended to make the workplace in India a safe and dignified one for all employees and the ones in Mumbai in particular. Under the law, organizations employing ten or more persons shall mandatorily file an annual return that shall detail efforts at compliance along with the status of sexual harassment complaints within the workplace. This annual report provides, yet another very useful activity for monitoring compliance with the law and accountability in the way of enforcement among employers.

In Mumbai, the POSH annual return shall be drafted by the Internal Complaints Committee and must be submitted to both the employer and District Officer. As such, although the POSH Act has not stipulated any deadline for submissions, usually, it is advisable that organizations file in their reports by January 31st the following year. Such a report should contain necessary details, such as the number of complaints received, resolved ones, and pending ones, besides public awareness programs implemented throughout the year.

The POSH Act necessitates that Indian workplaces guarantee that all employees feel secure and well represented in the workplace. One of the significant compliance requirements under this Act is to make annual POSH returns.

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.