After a High Court approval, female employees of bars and restaurants in the city are expected to wear full-sleeve shirts and trousers or salwar-kurta at work.

Karnataka high court on Tuesday approved the state government’s guidelines for the female employees. Bangalore Ladies Working Bar and Restaurant Owners’ Association had approached the HC the past month. This was a result from alleging that the police were harassing them over allegations that their female employees were getting involved in ‘shady’ business with customers. The HC, therefore, asked the state government to frame guidelines for the women, sending the female employees at working at bars and clubs on a leave.

The state government submitted the guidelines on Tuesday. The HC approved them and said the police should not press the establishments to implement all the guidelines from day one. Further, the court asked the state government and the bar owners to convene a meeting after three months to assess the guidelines.
After going through the guidelines the state government had submitted, Justice AS Bopanna said the owners of bars and restaurants that have the license to hire women may use women’s services, but should strictly follow the government’s guidelines. In case the owners face difficulties with some of the rules, they may air the grievance at the review meeting with police, to be held after three months.

According to the petitioners, about 20 bars and restaurants in the city employ women, with the number of female employees standing at more than 200.

The guidelines
-Female employees should be at least 21 years old.
-They should be wearing trousers-full-sleeved shirts/t-shirts with or without a blazer or a salwar-kameez with dupatta.
-Jurisdictional police should be given details of employees.
-Bar on employing women, men or transgenders for dancing or any other kind of ‘exhibition’.
-Female staff should be provided free transportation from the workplace to home.
-The employer must ensure they are not subjected to trafficking, exploitation or sexual harassment.
-The employer should not divulge the particulars of women employees to any customer.
-The employer will be held responsible for any discrepancies in the ID proofs of the employee.
-Every employee should be entitled to all benefits, including PF, under labour laws.

-Provisions of minimum wages act should be strictly employed.
-No customer or anybody should be allowed to videograph or photograph any employee.
-Continuous CCTV camera coverage of the establishment, including at corridors and the entrance, should be maintained.
-If suspicious customers, anti-social elements come to the place, the employer should inform the local police immediately.

Source: DNA