Talking is Important… to create a Culture of Trust and Safety through POSH Communication

Have any of your employees faced this scenario? It was a late night at work. Neha (not a real name), a young marketing executive, was helping her senior colleague Rajiv in finalising an urgent client proposal. They finished quite late and Rajiv offered to give her a ride home. During the drive, he suggested spending the night together and hinted that it could benefit her career. Shocked, Neha firmly refused.

The next day at work, Rajiv implied that rejecting his offer could impact her career growth. Neha felt pressured. The incident made her anxious about her future.

Should Neha report the incident or stay silent, enduring the hostile environment Rajiv had created?

Neha’s course of action would depend on how her organisation deals with POSH cases. A workplace that values respect and safety has to empower its employees to speak up against harassment without the fear of retaliation.

Going Beyond the Policy

Responsible organisations understand that real protection goes beyond the mandatory once-a-year POSH training. It requires ongoing, clear communication and a genuine commitment to creating a safe environment because simply having a POSH policy is not enough.

Having a clear strategy and a toolkit for POSH Communication is critical.

Why POSH Policy Communication Needs to Be a Priority

Let’s be honest: most people tune out the legalese. They might sign the handbook, but if you ask them six months later where to find your organisation’s POSH committee list or reporting channels, chances are they won’t remember.

That’s not just a communication gap, it’s a risk.

Communicating POSH policies effectively helps:

• Prevent incidents before they happen by making boundaries and consequences clear.
• Empower employees to speak up when they feel uncomfortable.
• Build trust in the system by showing that the organisation is serious about safety—not just checking boxes.

When people feel informed, they feel protected. And when they feel protected, they perform better, stay longer, and contribute more meaningfully.

From Policy to Practice: Communication Builds Culture

Research and internal case studies consistently show that effective communication around workplace safety policies correlates with higher employee engagement and lower attrition. But what does “effective” actually mean?

It means:

• Moving beyond the once-a-year workshop
• Using real, relatable examples that people understand.
• Creating multiple touchpoints—email reminders, FAQs, visuals, quick videos, even lunch-and-learn sessions
• Making information easily accessible and jargon-free

In short: it’s necessary to make POSH communication part of the culture, not a compliance afterthought.

Creating Psychological Safety Through Transparency

Employees don’t just need policies—they need psychological safety. This means knowing they can report a concern without fear of retaliation. It means trusting that the organisation will respond appropriately.

Clear, consistent communication helps build this trust. When leaders talk openly about POSH initiatives, when reporting structures are visible, when success stories are shared (with confidentiality), it signals that the organisation takes harassment seriously—and supports those who come forward.

A Toolkit That Supports the Process

Many organisations want to get better at this, but don’t always have the internal resources to make it happen consistently.

That’s where solutions like the TIC POSH Communication Toolkit come in. Designed to help HR and leadership teams roll out effective POSH communication, it includes customisable content, training formats, and creative engagement tools that make policy communication simpler, clearer, and more impactful.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, teams can focus on embedding these resources into their existing systems—ensuring regular visibility, understanding, and reinforcement of core POSH principles.

A Culture of Safety Starts with a Conversation

Having a POSH policy is step one. But creating a truly safe workplace? That’s ongoing work. It’s in the conversations we enable, the confidence we instill, and the systems we reinforce.

Whether you're just starting out or refining your internal processes, remember: a well-communicated POSH policy isn’t just about prevention. It’s about respect, inclusion, and building a workplace where everyone feels safe enough to thrive.

Let’s start the conversation today.