Even as corporate India reports stronger POSH compliance on workplace harassment, the silence in its corridors tells a more unsettling story, one that Sumer Datta, a veteran HR leader with over 40 years of experience, has been calling out for years.

Based on Centre for Economic Data & Analysis (CEDA) at Ashoka University data, the volume of Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) complaints lodged in 300 listed companies jumped from 71 in 2013–14 to 1,160 in 2022–23, an unprecedented 620% hike in ten years.

On the surface, this rise suggests growing awareness and confidence in reporting. But experts like Datta caution that it may reflect only a fraction of the reality.

“The real danger isn’t what’s reported. It’s what’s endured in silence,” he says.

Globally, workplace harassment remains widespread. A 2021 Gallup survey found that 23% of workers worldwide have experienced violence or harassment at work, but 55% never reported it, fearing retaliation, indifference, or career consequences.

In India, a 2015 survey by the Indian Bar Association revealed that nearly 70% of women who faced sexual harassment at work didn’t report it, citing similar reasons. Recent anecdotes indicate little has changed.

Behind the numbers are stories that rarely make it to official records:

• An intern who abruptly left after her first assignment, never explaining why.
• Repeated jokes at someone’s expense, dismissed as harmless banter.
• A senior manager’s unwelcome closeness, disguised as mentorship.

In most cases, the burden of avoidance, sidestepping corridors, declining meetings, masking discomfort with a smile, falls on the person being harassed.

Zero POSH Complaints Means a Safe Workplace?

Yet many companies continue to treat “zero complaints” as evidence of a safe workplace. Datta strongly disagrees.

“Zero complaints often means zero psychological safety,” he explains. “It signals that employees don’t feel safe speaking up, not that harassment doesn’t happen.”

Although the POSH Act of 2013 mandated Internal Committees and annual reporting of cases for firms with more than 10 employees, critics argue the focus has been on compliance checklists rather than genuine prevention.

Many companies invest heavily in formal training sessions, yet fail to create informal channels, where employees often feel more comfortable or to hold leaders directly accountable for the culture they create.

“We’ve built systems that are excellent at documenting problems but terrible at preventing them,” Datta says. “And we confuse silence for success.”

What would real progress look like? According to him and other practitioners:

• Educate managers to identify and resolve early signs of discomfort rather than waiting for official complaints.
• Create informal, safe channels where workers are able to talk freely.
• Make leadership accountable for creating a culture of respect, above the law.

Although the rise in complaints in the last ten years is a sign of increased reporting, it also indicates how much is still not seen. While Indian workplaces are aiming to satisfy the letter of the law, they can’t afford to neglect its spirit: creating a place where the employees feel comfortable to speak and work without fear.

For when silence is confused with safety, everyone loses.

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