Internal Committee training
The Internal Committee carries the hardest part of the Act. Its members are usually employees with day jobs, asked to run a quasi-judicial process they have never been trained for. This track builds the procedural confidence that makes an enquiry defensible.
Constitution and standing
Sessions start with the committee's own composition: who sits on it, the presiding officer requirement, the external member, quorum and term. Newly constituted committees frequently discover a gap here before a complaint ever arrives, which is the cheapest possible time to find it.
- Composition, presiding officer and external member
- Quorum, term and what happens when a member leaves
- Conflicts of interest and recusal
- Where branch structures require additional arrangements
Receiving and assessing a complaint
How the complaint arrives, what to do in the first days, how to handle an incomplete or verbally reported complaint, timelines, interim measures and conciliation where it is requested — each is walked through against realistic examples rather than described abstractly.
- Intake, acknowledgement and initial timelines
- Interim measures during an enquiry
- Conciliation: when it may apply and its limits
- Confidentiality obligations on the committee itself
Conducting the enquiry
This is the core of the day. Members practise structuring an enquiry, framing questions, hearing both parties, handling witnesses, dealing with digital evidence, and maintaining principles of natural justice throughout.
- Planning the enquiry and sequencing hearings
- Questioning technique — and what not to ask
- Witness handling and corroboration
- Digital evidence: messages, email, CCTV and their limits
- Natural justice: notice, opportunity to respond, impartiality
Findings, records and reporting
The committee's written output is what survives after the room empties. Members practise writing findings that connect evidence to conclusions, framing recommendations, and maintaining a record set that supports internal reporting and the annual return.
For advice on a specific live matter, the committee should have access to a qualified employment lawyer — the training builds procedure, not case-specific legal opinion.
- Writing findings that connect evidence to conclusion
- Recommendations and their implementation
- Record retention and confidentiality of the file
- Inputs required for annual reporting
Refresh and continuity
Committee membership changes. Most organisations run a full-day session on constitution and repeat a shorter refresher whenever a member joins, plus an annual case-practice session so the procedure stays live rather than theoretical.
Training is not legal advice
TrainingForge and FOGS Consultants provide workplace training and awareness programmes. Our sessions explain obligations and good practice under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and the associated Rules, but they are not legal advice and do not replace advice from a qualified lawyer on your organisation's specific facts.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Internal Committee training take?
A full day for an established committee. Two days where the committee is newly constituted and needs practice on enquiry procedure and findings writing.
Should the external member attend?
Yes, wherever possible. A shared understanding of procedure across the whole committee is more valuable than training members individually.
How often should the Internal Committee be retrained?
Most organisations refresh whenever membership changes, and run an annual case-practice session to keep procedure current.
Does the training cover writing the enquiry report?
Yes. Members practise connecting evidence to findings and framing recommendations, since that written output is what is later scrutinised.
Ready to schedule?
Send us the population, locations, languages and timeline. We confirm trainer availability and issue a quotation through the standard corporate training requirement workflow.