Women working in the central government who have filed sexual harassment complaints will now be allowed 90 days paid leave during the inquiry into their allegations, the Centre has said. The Department of Personnel Training issued an order stating that, “The leave so granted to the aggrieved woman under this rule shall not be debited against the leave account.”

The announcement comes after there have been complaints of the accused attempting to influence or threaten victims who have filed complaints against them, PTI reported. “It will come as a relief to the victims who undergo a lot of trauma while working in the office that too in the presence of the accused,” a senior DoPT official told PTI.

The provision was made under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and incorporated in the Central Civil Services (leave) Rules, 1972.