POSH case support — inquiry and employer action, s.11 · s.13
When a complaint has been filed with your Internal Committee or Local Committee, we provide employer-side legal advisory through the inquiry and its aftermath — delivered by counsel who are never empanelled as external members on any IC we serve, so the same person is never advising an employer on a live matter and sitting as a statutory Committee member elsewhere.
Does this apply to us?
Complaint against senior leadership
A complaint naming a senior employee follows the same s.11 process as any other; advisory scope and any conflict-management steps are confirmed at engagement.
Complainant no longer employed
A former employee may still bring a complaint within the s.9 window measured from the incident; employer obligations continue regardless of the complainant's current employment status.
Complaint outside the standard window
The complaint window is 3 months from the incident, extendable by a further 3 months under s.9; whether an extension applies is assessed on the facts.
Respondent based at a different branch
Each office constitutes its own IC under s.4; where respondent and complainant sit in different branches, jurisdiction is confirmed before the inquiry proceeds.
Fewer than 10 employees
Complaints at employers below the 10-employee threshold go to a Local Committee rather than an in-house IC; advisory scope is adjusted accordingly.
What we deliver
Employer-side advisory from the point a complaint is received through the IC's inquiry and the employer's action on its findings. Delivered onsite across Delhi NCR or online pan-India, in English or Hindi. Format and engagement length are confirmed at scoping.
We advise the employer on process, documentation, and the two statutory clocks running against the file; we do not sit on the Committee deciding the complaint.
Talent Crafters maintains two separate rosters: counsel who provide employer-side case support advisory, and the external members who sit on client Internal Committees under s.4(2)(c). No individual appears on both rosters for the same client relationship — advisory counsel on a live case are never simultaneously an external member of the Committee handling it. Panel composition can be checked at our panel.
The statutory basis
| Fact | Statute |
|---|---|
| Complaint window from the incident, extendable by a further period on the facts. | s.9 — 3 months, extendable by 3 months |
| Inquiry to be completed within this period. | s.11 — 90 days |
| Employer to act on the IC's report within this period. | s.13 — 60 days |
| Penalty for a first contravention of the Act. | s.26(1) — up to ₹50,000 |
| On a repeat offence, government may cancel the relevant licence, registration, or approval. | s.26(2) |
Who delivers it
Advisory is led by advocates drawn from the case-support roster, kept separate from our external-member roster as described above. Full panel details, without photographs or biographies, are listed at our panel.
Price
Confirmed at scoping — depends on case complexity and the stage at which we're engaged. Full pricing detail is at pricing.
What we do not do
- We do not serve as an external IC member on any matter our case-support counsel is advising — the two rosters are kept separate.
- We do not conduct the IC's inquiry ourselves; the inquiry under s.11 is the Committee's function, not ours.
- We do not represent complainants — this is an employer-side advisory service.
- We do not guarantee a particular inquiry outcome.
- We do not extend the s.9, s.11, or s.13 timelines — those are set by the Act, not by us.
Frequently asked
How quickly should we engage after a complaint is filed?
As soon as possible — the s.11 inquiry clock of 90 days and the s.9 complaint-window rules both start running from dates the employer does not control, so early advisory helps the process stay on track.
What is the two-roster firewall?
Counsel who advise employers on live cases are kept on a separate roster from the external members who sit on client Internal Committees, so the same person never plays both roles on the same matter.
Do you conduct the inquiry yourselves?
No. The inquiry is the Internal Committee's statutory function under s.11; we advise the employer, we do not sit on or run the Committee's inquiry.
How long does the employer have to act after the report?
Sixty days from the IC's report, under s.13.
Can a complaint be filed after 3 months?
The standard window is 3 months from the incident, extendable by a further 3 months under s.9 depending on the facts; whether an extension applies is assessed case by case.
What if the respondent works at a different branch?
Each office constitutes its own IC, so jurisdiction between branches is confirmed before the inquiry proceeds.
Do you represent the complainant too?
No — this is an employer-side advisory service only.
What happens if the employer misses the 60-day action window?
Missing statutory timelines is a form of non-compliance that can attract penalties under s.26; advisory during this stage is aimed at keeping the employer inside the window.
Can a former employee still bring a complaint?
Yes, within the s.9 window measured from the incident; employer obligations continue regardless of the complainant's current employment status.
Is our external member briefed on the case by your case-support counsel?
No — the firewall between the two rosters means case-support counsel and external members do not share case-specific input on the same matter.
Where to go next
The three statutory clocks that start running, and where timelines slip.
Check this against the record
Everything on this page rests on the statute, the Rules, or a reported judgment. These are the originals — links open on the issuing body's own site.
The Government of India repository carrying the bare text of the POSH Act 2013 and its Rules.
The Supreme Court's directions on IC constitution and procedural compliance, 12 May 2023.