Section 17 of The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
Where any person entrusted with the duty to handle or deal with the complaint, inquiry or any recommendations or action to be taken under the provisions of this Act, contravenes the provisions of section 16, he shall be liable for penalty in accordance with the provisions of the service rules applicable to the said person or where no such service rules exist, in such manner as may be prescribed.
Summary
- This section establishes penalties for any official who violates the confidentiality rules.
- It applies to anyone trusted with the duty to handle complaints, inquiries, recommendations, or actions under this law.
- If a person leaks protected information, they are punished under their workplace's applicable service rules.
- If the official has no service rules, they are penalized in such manner as may be prescribed by government rules.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. Who can be penalized under Section 17 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013?
Under Section 17 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, any person who is entrusted with handling or dealing with the complaint, inquiry, recommendations, or actions under the Act can be penalized if they leak confidential information.
2. How is the penalty decided for an employee who violates Section 16 under Section 17 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013?
Under Section 17 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, the penalty for an employee who leaks confidential information is decided in accordance with the service rules applicable to that employee.
3. What happens under Section 17 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 if the person who leaked information does not have service rules?
Under Section 17 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, if the person has no service rules, they will be penalized in such manner as may be prescribed by the rules made under the Act.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 17 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, what must happen for an official to face a penalty?
Q2.Under Section 17 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, who determines the penalty for a person who has service rules?
Q3.Under Section 17 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, if a person is found to have shared the name of a complainant with the press in violation of Section 16 of the same Act, how will their penalty be decided if they do not have any service rules?
Q4.Under Section 17 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, which of the following people is subject to a penalty for leaking confidential information?