Hi,
On Friday night, my two female team members were followed by some boys during their drop-off at 3:30 am. Surprisingly, even though there were five male staff members in the cab, they did nothing to ensure the safety of the girls. I am concerned about this incident and would like to seek your advice on how to address this issue with top management to prevent such occurrences in the future. Additionally, I would like to discuss potential actions that can be taken against the male employees involved.
Your thoughts and guidance on this matter are greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Ajay Kumar
From India, New Delhi
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On Friday night, my two female team members were followed by some boys during their drop-off at 3:30 am. Surprisingly, even though there were five male staff members in the cab, they did nothing to ensure the safety of the girls. I am concerned about this incident and would like to seek your advice on how to address this issue with top management to prevent such occurrences in the future. Additionally, I would like to discuss potential actions that can be taken against the male employees involved.
Your thoughts and guidance on this matter are greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Ajay Kumar
From India, New Delhi
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Dear Ajay Kumar,
You do have a choice to just handle it with a Team-Huddle and give those men a sounding, to close the case.
However, you also have an option to create a bigger difference.
Stalkers have a pattern. They do it for fun and are mostly spread out in groups. They even choose an area and the target.
In your case, you have already identified the first few.
Now here's a question, are you a member of the HR team? It would then be easier for you to implement the change.
If not, team up with an influential member in your HR Team. Involve your Transport Team in this. Ideally, they have a lot of connections with the police; hence, it would be easier for them to work through than you.
Find out the local patrolling by police at night. Assuming that this is in Delhi, identifying it with the local police station wouldn't be an issue. Take the contact numbers to the Patrolling team at night. Notify, once such cases are spotted.
Stalkers derive joy from the fact that they get to scare someone. Hence, if you can take it away from them, you nip the bud.
Please inform all your employees of the plan of action to be followed in such cases. Make sure no one panics. They have a safety cover around, and they need to believe that.
Wish you all the best!
From India, Mumbai
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1893You do have a choice to just handle it with a Team-Huddle and give those men a sounding, to close the case.
However, you also have an option to create a bigger difference.
Stalkers have a pattern. They do it for fun and are mostly spread out in groups. They even choose an area and the target.
In your case, you have already identified the first few.
Now here's a question, are you a member of the HR team? It would then be easier for you to implement the change.
If not, team up with an influential member in your HR Team. Involve your Transport Team in this. Ideally, they have a lot of connections with the police; hence, it would be easier for them to work through than you.
Find out the local patrolling by police at night. Assuming that this is in Delhi, identifying it with the local police station wouldn't be an issue. Take the contact numbers to the Patrolling team at night. Notify, once such cases are spotted.
Stalkers derive joy from the fact that they get to scare someone. Hence, if you can take it away from them, you nip the bud.
Please inform all your employees of the plan of action to be followed in such cases. Make sure no one panics. They have a safety cover around, and they need to believe that.
Wish you all the best!
From India, Mumbai
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Ajay,
This is a serious issue and not one that you should ignore, especially considering the general conditions in UP and specifically in Noida, which are quite concerning with respect to such incidents. Your colleagues in the car did not intervene because they were scared. Carrying a gun is quite common in Noida and it appears to be increasing due to the lack of law and order. No one likes to risk their own lives for issues not directly related to them. So, what is the solution...
First, inform your HR and management that this incident occurred. Before doing so, talk to those girls. Find out if they knew or have seen these people before. You need to do this because there is a likelihood that management and HR may unfairly question the girls' character (an easy, cheap, chauvinistic method to avoid accountability and responsibility, but unfortunately used frequently).
Change the timing by 15-20 minutes for a couple of days, use a different car, and observe if they are being stalked again.
Revert to the original timing and check if the stalkers reappear.
If any stalkers are spotted, the girls MUST NOT be dropped at their usual points. By doing so, you are only leading them to the girls. They should be taken back and sent in a different car a bit later. If the same group is seen following, REPORT immediately.
If the same stalkers are repeatedly seen in the vicinity, REPORT!!! Always remember the golden rule: Better safe than sorry!
Thumb Rule 1: If you feel you are being stalked, use the camera on your phone to try and take photos of your stalkers. Ensure they do not notice that you are photographing them as it could provoke them further.
Thumb Rule 2: If any stalkers are noticed, the girls MUST NOT be dropped at their usual points. By doing so, you are only leading them to the girls. They should be taken back and sent in a different car a bit later. If the same group is seen following, REPORT immediately.
Thumb Rule 3: Do not try to be a hero unless it's a desperate situation. Call for help and return to the company. Note that they are following the girls from the office because they are not aware of their homes. If the drop continues, they will eventually know where the girls live.
Thumb Rule 4: Every car must be equipped with pepper sprays!!! If someone feels threatened, they should take it with them and return it the next day. Every use of the pepper spray must be documented to ensure it is not being misused. All employees should be trained on how to use pepper spray.
Thumb Rule 5: When in doubt, close your windows, especially on the side where the stalkers seem to be approaching. Fresh air is good and refreshing, but not at the expense of your safety and peace of mind!
These are some guidelines...
P.S: Ajay, you have a good HR professional, Dhyan if I'm not mistaken. Talk to him!!!
Cheers,
Navneet
From India, Delhi
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This is a serious issue and not one that you should ignore, especially considering the general conditions in UP and specifically in Noida, which are quite concerning with respect to such incidents. Your colleagues in the car did not intervene because they were scared. Carrying a gun is quite common in Noida and it appears to be increasing due to the lack of law and order. No one likes to risk their own lives for issues not directly related to them. So, what is the solution...
First, inform your HR and management that this incident occurred. Before doing so, talk to those girls. Find out if they knew or have seen these people before. You need to do this because there is a likelihood that management and HR may unfairly question the girls' character (an easy, cheap, chauvinistic method to avoid accountability and responsibility, but unfortunately used frequently).
Change the timing by 15-20 minutes for a couple of days, use a different car, and observe if they are being stalked again.
Revert to the original timing and check if the stalkers reappear.
If any stalkers are spotted, the girls MUST NOT be dropped at their usual points. By doing so, you are only leading them to the girls. They should be taken back and sent in a different car a bit later. If the same group is seen following, REPORT immediately.
If the same stalkers are repeatedly seen in the vicinity, REPORT!!! Always remember the golden rule: Better safe than sorry!
Thumb Rule 1: If you feel you are being stalked, use the camera on your phone to try and take photos of your stalkers. Ensure they do not notice that you are photographing them as it could provoke them further.
Thumb Rule 2: If any stalkers are noticed, the girls MUST NOT be dropped at their usual points. By doing so, you are only leading them to the girls. They should be taken back and sent in a different car a bit later. If the same group is seen following, REPORT immediately.
Thumb Rule 3: Do not try to be a hero unless it's a desperate situation. Call for help and return to the company. Note that they are following the girls from the office because they are not aware of their homes. If the drop continues, they will eventually know where the girls live.
Thumb Rule 4: Every car must be equipped with pepper sprays!!! If someone feels threatened, they should take it with them and return it the next day. Every use of the pepper spray must be documented to ensure it is not being misused. All employees should be trained on how to use pepper spray.
Thumb Rule 5: When in doubt, close your windows, especially on the side where the stalkers seem to be approaching. Fresh air is good and refreshing, but not at the expense of your safety and peace of mind!
These are some guidelines...
P.S: Ajay, you have a good HR professional, Dhyan if I'm not mistaken. Talk to him!!!
Cheers,
Navneet
From India, Delhi
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3:30 a.m. is an odd time. Kindly check if the shift timing of your company can be changed. Furthermore, I hope your company must be having security guards/bouncers. Send them along with the ladies' drop as they are trained to tackle such issues.
From India, Ahmadabad
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From India, Ahmadabad
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After 9 PM, you should ideally send a guard in a cab if there is a female staff member being dropped off. Many big companies that have night shifts follow this practice. Also, please refer to your state's Shops and Commercial Establishments Act.
From India, Delhi
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From India, Delhi
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Dear Navneet,
Wonderful plan of action shared! Stalking isn't time-bound. They can even stalk in broad daylight. Hence, changing the drop time would minimize but not solve it completely.
Identifying the support points is essential. Taking a different route might not solve the problem completely as the stalkers would still be there waiting to stalk someone else.
The best way is to work with the Patrolling team. I am certain there would be many police patrolling in cars and on bikes. The logistic team would have better connections and might be able to help.
The ladies need to be trained on what they should do under those circumstances. Returning to the office is the best option as suggested by you if the patrolling teams cannot be reached.
From India, Mumbai
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Wonderful plan of action shared! Stalking isn't time-bound. They can even stalk in broad daylight. Hence, changing the drop time would minimize but not solve it completely.
Identifying the support points is essential. Taking a different route might not solve the problem completely as the stalkers would still be there waiting to stalk someone else.
The best way is to work with the Patrolling team. I am certain there would be many police patrolling in cars and on bikes. The logistic team would have better connections and might be able to help.
The ladies need to be trained on what they should do under those circumstances. Returning to the office is the best option as suggested by you if the patrolling teams cannot be reached.
From India, Mumbai
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Thank you (Cite Contribution)
Everything that i have suggested is not solving any problem but rather avoiding a disaster.
At the cost of sounding highly dramatic, let me ask a rather simple question Is there really a solution to this problem? Yes and NO!! Yes there is... but it would need a revolution...sad but true.
Because we would not be fighting these two individuals or many like them but an entire community as a whole. Especially where this company is based out of - Noida. Although just 20 odd miles from Delhi, Noida comes under the administration of UP whose Chief Minister ( and his father) have made statements like "Boys will be boys, they make mistakes… Will you hang them for rape?" ..:-) Wow!!! Talk about electing the right leaders... lol
And if, god forbid, the boys are from a different community than the girls being abused which is highly possible, then we have the fear of it being blown out of proportion into a inter community fiasco. In all the drama that follows, what happens to the "actual problem - girls being abused" ? Forgotten... and life moves on...
I am sorry if i am sounding depressing and negative but that is ground realities... That is the reason why in such cases, i would rather work towards avoiding disaster than actually trying to solve the problem... The chances that these boys were targeting those two girls are quite remote... My plan of action was to first ensure if that would have been the case...
Cops / Police in the night are not really recommended interaction agents unless it is desperate and required. They generally tend to make matters worse than actually solve a problem...:-)
Hence better safe than sorry policy... and the reason why we need a goddamn revolution!!!..:-) (God i love this country...lol)
Cheers
Navneet
From India, Delhi
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Everything that i have suggested is not solving any problem but rather avoiding a disaster.
At the cost of sounding highly dramatic, let me ask a rather simple question Is there really a solution to this problem? Yes and NO!! Yes there is... but it would need a revolution...sad but true.
Because we would not be fighting these two individuals or many like them but an entire community as a whole. Especially where this company is based out of - Noida. Although just 20 odd miles from Delhi, Noida comes under the administration of UP whose Chief Minister ( and his father) have made statements like "Boys will be boys, they make mistakes… Will you hang them for rape?" ..:-) Wow!!! Talk about electing the right leaders... lol
And if, god forbid, the boys are from a different community than the girls being abused which is highly possible, then we have the fear of it being blown out of proportion into a inter community fiasco. In all the drama that follows, what happens to the "actual problem - girls being abused" ? Forgotten... and life moves on...
I am sorry if i am sounding depressing and negative but that is ground realities... That is the reason why in such cases, i would rather work towards avoiding disaster than actually trying to solve the problem... The chances that these boys were targeting those two girls are quite remote... My plan of action was to first ensure if that would have been the case...
Cops / Police in the night are not really recommended interaction agents unless it is desperate and required. They generally tend to make matters worse than actually solve a problem...:-)
Hence better safe than sorry policy... and the reason why we need a goddamn revolution!!!..:-) (God i love this country...lol)
Cheers
Navneet
From India, Delhi
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Dear Ajay,
Coming to the point of your query, i.e., what action can we take against the male employee (those 5 people who were present in the cab)?
Actually, it's a matter of choice; we can't impose anything on any employee. On human grounds, they could have helped those girls reach their destination safely. However, considering it's Delhi and since the entire nation has witnessed brutality, they might not have come forward to help.
In fact, it's the company's responsibility to ensure the safety of all employees, both male and female. Like Cite Contribution mentioned, you can always contact the patrolling team, and nowadays there are a number of applications and toll-free police numbers available through which the female staff can seek help. Furthermore, contact your HR team, report the issue, and let them create awareness among all employees. A mock drill can also be conducted so that the staff would not panic in such situations.
From India, Pune
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Coming to the point of your query, i.e., what action can we take against the male employee (those 5 people who were present in the cab)?
Actually, it's a matter of choice; we can't impose anything on any employee. On human grounds, they could have helped those girls reach their destination safely. However, considering it's Delhi and since the entire nation has witnessed brutality, they might not have come forward to help.
In fact, it's the company's responsibility to ensure the safety of all employees, both male and female. Like Cite Contribution mentioned, you can always contact the patrolling team, and nowadays there are a number of applications and toll-free police numbers available through which the female staff can seek help. Furthermore, contact your HR team, report the issue, and let them create awareness among all employees. A mock drill can also be conducted so that the staff would not panic in such situations.
From India, Pune
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Dear Navneet,
Thank you for pointing out the issues that need instant attention. I am mailing this discussion thread to [Dr. Jogeshwar Mahanta](https://www.citehr.com/member.php?u=2957). He is very senior and is better informed about the Judiciary and Law & Order in Delhi. Let's hear from him. I really want to see some solution to this situation.
From India, Mumbai
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Thank you for pointing out the issues that need instant attention. I am mailing this discussion thread to [Dr. Jogeshwar Mahanta](https://www.citehr.com/member.php?u=2957). He is very senior and is better informed about the Judiciary and Law & Order in Delhi. Let's hear from him. I really want to see some solution to this situation.
From India, Mumbai
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