The story of sexual harassment of a parliamentary employee is a lie

A committee report investigating the matter has revealed that an officer working in the Department of Information Systems and Management of the Parliament has been subjected to severe injustices and various forms of harassment, but she has not been subjected to any form of sexual harassment falling under Section 345 of the Penal Code. This committee, chaired by retired High Court Judge Sujatha Alahapperuma, submitted its final report to the Parliamentary Staff Advisory Committee on the 19th.

The report indicates that the officer in question was severely prejudiced during interviews for the positions of Data Base Administration and Parliamentary Officer. The head of the department had prejudged her as unsuitable for these positions and presented this view to the interview panel, leading the panel to decide not to award her marks, thereby depriving the officer of potential career opportunities. Furthermore, the committee observed that during the interview for the Parliamentary Officer position, she was questioned about leave entitlements and administrative issues outside the scope of the subject matter. In addition, her salary increment payments for the years 2024 and 2025 have been delayed without any valid reason.

The committee has concluded that the so-called temporary transfer given to this officer was made to a sector completely unrelated to her qualifications and without any acceptable basis. Accordingly, it has been recommended that the victimized officer be immediately reinstated to her permanent duties as Senior Support Window Coordination Assistant in the Department of Information Systems and Management. Furthermore, the committee has proposed that a conducive working environment be created for her through discussions with department heads and other officers, and that necessary administrative procedures and adequate staff be provided to enable her to carry out her duties without hindrance. It further states that a prompt decision should be made regarding her outstanding salary increments and she should be informed accordingly.

This investigation has confirmed that due to weaknesses and delays in the administrative functions and control mechanisms of the Parliament, problematic situations have arisen in maintaining disciplinary actions and administrative affairs of officers. Therefore, the committee emphasizes that the duty lists of all officers in the Department of Information Systems and Management should be subjected to a systematic analysis and closely monitored under the supervision of a senior officer with extensive experience in parliamentary affairs. The report also highlights the need to establish an effective program for managing officers' grievances and providing necessary counseling.

The committee's recommendations state that it is essential to develop a suitable internal program to strengthen administrative relations among parliamentary sectors and to clearly distribute responsibilities. Furthermore, it has been advised that a standard operating procedure should be formulated and followed for recruitment to vacancies in Parliament. This committee report further points out that the entire human resource management process, including staff recruitment, promotions, training, and maintaining discipline, must be conducted with utmost transparency to safeguard the dignity and supremacy of the Parliament.

The story of a female employee being sexually harassed caused considerable controversy both inside and outside Parliament, but the committee's final analysis determined it to be only workplace pressure.