I want to understand my rights and the POSH process
Read the statutory framework in plain language and understand the complaint, inquiry and redressal provisions before deciding what comes next.
SHE-BOX COMPLAINT GUIDE
How to File a SHe-Box Complaint: Route, Process and Status
Before filing, understand where your complaint is likely to go, what to prepare, how SHe-Box routes it and what happens after submission.
You can use this guide without telling POSH India Help what happened.
START WITH THE ROUTE
Before you file, understand where the complaint should go.
SHe-Box provides an online route for registering a workplace sexual-harassment complaint. But the statutory process ultimately depends on which authority has jurisdiction: the Internal Committee or the Local Committee.
You do not need to describe the incident to use this route check.
Where does SHe-Box fit?
You may choose the Government's online SHe-Box route to register a workplace sexual-harassment complaint. Based on the information provided, the Government system routes the complaint to the authority having jurisdiction.
BEFORE YOU FILE
Prepare the essentials—not a perfect legal brief.
A complaint should communicate what happened clearly enough for the appropriate authority to understand and process it.
You do not need to turn your experience into complicated legal language.
01
Identify the workplace
Have the basic workplace information available to you, such as:
- organisation or employer;
- relevant office, branch or workplace;
- sector or organisational context; and
- Internal Committee information, if you know it
This information can help identify where the complaint should be routed.
02
Organise the sequence
A simple chronology can help.
Record, as accurately as you can:
- what occurred;
- the relevant date or approximate period;
- whether there was more than one incident;
- where or in what work-related context it occurred; and
- the respondent's relationship to the workplace.
You do not need to add unnecessary personal detail simply because a form provides space for it.
03
Preserve relevant material
If relevant material already exists—such as messages, emails, documents or other records—keep it securely and preserve the original material wherever possible.
If other people may have relevant information, it can also be useful to note that for your own records.
Do not assume that you need a complete evidence file before seeking guidance or taking the next appropriate step.
04
Be aware of the complaint timeline
Section 9 of the POSH Act provides that a written complaint may ordinarily be made within three months from the incident, or within three months from the last incident where there is a series of incidents.
The Internal Committee or Local Committee may, for reasons recorded in writing, extend that period by up to a further three months where circumstances prevented the complaint from being filed within the initial period.
If timing may be an issue, consider obtaining guidance promptly rather than waiting to perfect every document.
If writing the complaint is difficult
The Act provides that where the complaint cannot be made in writing, the Presiding Officer or a member of the Internal Committee, or the Chairperson or a member of the Local Committee, as applicable, shall provide reasonable assistance in making the complaint in writing.
HOW FILING WORKS
From online submission to the appropriate authority.
The live Government interface may change over time, but the core SHe-Box journey can be understood in four steps.
01 — Confirm the scope
Confirm that the complaint concerns workplace sexual harassment
SHe-Box is intended for complaints concerning sexual harassment at the workplace.
Before proceeding, confirm that you are using the system for the purpose for which it is designed.
02 — Provide the routing information
Identify the workplace and relevant context
The Government process asks for information that helps identify the relevant workplace, sector and authority.
Complete the live form carefully and check the information before submission.
03 — Submit through SHe-Box
Review before you submit
Read the declaration presented by the Government portal and ensure that the information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge.
If the portal generates an acknowledgement, complaint number or other reference, keep it securely.
04 — Complaint routed to the relevant authority
SHe-Box connects the complaint with the statutory mechanism
Government material describes complaints submitted through SHe-Box as being forwarded to the authority having jurisdiction, including the relevant Internal Committee or Local Committee, depending on the information provided.
Submission starts the process. It is not a finding or decision on the complaint.
AFTER SUBMISSION
What happens after the complaint reaches the IC or LC?
Once the complaint reaches the authority having jurisdiction, the statutory POSH process becomes central.
THE PROCESS
Process map
- 01
SHe-Box submission
- 02
Relevant Internal Committee or Local Committee
- 03
Applicable statutory process
- 04
Findings and recommendations
Complaint handling
The IC or LC receives and deals with the complaint within its statutory jurisdiction.
Conciliation — only if requested
Before an inquiry begins, the Internal Committee or Local Committee may take steps towards conciliation only at the request of the aggrieved woman.
A monetary settlement cannot be made the basis of conciliation.
Inquiry
Where the matter proceeds to inquiry, the IC or LC follows the applicable statutory procedure.
Where both parties are employees, the Act requires that they be given an opportunity of being heard, and the findings must be made available to both parties to enable representation before the Committee.
Findings and recommendations
At the conclusion of the inquiry, the Committee provides its findings and, where applicable, recommendations in accordance with the Act.
Confidentiality applies throughout
Section 16 restricts publication or communication of protected complaint and inquiry information, including complaint contents, specified identities, information relating to proceedings, recommendations and action taken.
STATUS & TIMELINES
Track the status—but also understand the statutory clock.
SHe-Box provides status functionality for complaints registered through the Government system.
A portal status, however, is not itself a legal conclusion and should not be confused with the statutory timelines governing the complaint process.
Key timelines under the POSH Act
| Stage | Statutory framework |
|---|---|
| Making the complaint | Generally within 3 months of the incident, or the last incident in a series; the IC or LC may extend this by up to a further 3 months where the statutory conditions are satisfied |
| Inquiry | To be completed within 90 days |
| Inquiry report | To be provided within 10 days from completion of the inquiry |
| Action on recommendations | Employer or District Officer to act within 60 days of receiving the recommendations |
| Appeal | Where Section 18 applies, an appeal is to be preferred within 90 days of the recommendations |
If the portal status does not tell you enough
It may help to separate two questions:
1. What does the SHe-Box status show?
This concerns the Government portal's complaint-routing and monitoring workflow.
2. What stage has the IC or LC process reached?
This concerns the statutory complaint process.
The two are connected, but they are not necessarily the same thing.
If you need help understanding the procedural position, seek guidance without sharing passwords, OTPs or unnecessary complaint material.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Choose what you need now.
I need independent guidance
If you are uncertain about jurisdiction, procedure, timelines or available routes, POSH India Help can help you understand your options. You do not need to publish your experience or provide unnecessary sensitive information simply to seek initial guidance.
I'm ready to use the official SHe-Box portal
If you have considered the route and decided to proceed through the Government system, continue to the official SHe-Box portal.
If there is an immediate safety risk
Do not rely solely on a workplace complaint process where urgent protection or emergency assistance is required.
Use the appropriate emergency, police or other lawful support channel for the situation.