Stigma and discrimination at work
Unfounded fears
Why does discrimination against people living with HIV at work matter?
What can I do as an employer?
HIV/AIDS education and training for all staff
Stigma and discrimination affect all people living with HIV and there have been cases of HIV-positive people being discriminated against at work.
It can take the form of malicious gossip, isolation or even job loss after disclosing HIV status. The effects of stigma and discrimination can be deeply damaging, both for the individuals concerned and for the organisations they work for.
Recent criminal prosecutions for the transmission of HIV in the UK have stirred up old prejudices, led to much sensationalist and ignorant reporting and made many people with HIV feel further stigmatised and threatened.
Unfounded fears
One of the most common reasons people living with HIV suffer from discrimination is because of unfounded fears of catching HIV. However there is absolutely no risk of contracting HIV in normal workplace activities. The majority of new infections are transmitted through unprotected heterosexual sex.
You will not catch HIV from sharing office equipment, coffee mugs, toilets or telephones. And normal standards of hygiene will protect against HIV as well as most other infections.
People living with HIV work successfully in a wide variety of occupations. There are nurses, teachers, chefs, mechanics and lawyers working and living with HIV.
There are, however, limitations on certain jobs in the health service that affect people living with HIV. These are jobs that involve specific exposure prone procedures such as surgery, dentistry and midwifery.
Why does discrimination against people living with HIV at work matter?
It matters because it:
- is unfair and deeply damaging to those affected.
- creates an anxious and divided workforce.
- wastes the talents and abilities that people living with HIV can bring to the workplace.
- will only reinforce the fears and prejudices that caused it.
It can also make preventing HIV transmission more difficult because people at risk of HIV can be so fearful of association with it that they deny any possibility that they could be at risk. This can mean that they do not educate themselves or take steps, such as using condoms when having sex, to protect their own or other people’s health.
What can I do as an employer?
Although Jersey has yet to introduce a Disability Discrimination Law to protect people living with HIV in the workplace, employers everywhere now recognise that adopting good practice, which has been established over the last twenty years, makes good business sense.
Before the introduction of the UK Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), many employers responded to their own ethical codes, government advice and case law by introducing strong humanitarian policies against HIV discrimination.
They found that "doing the right thing" meant they were prepared for HIV/AIDS, could avoid disruptive disputes over health and safety and deliver a style and substance of management that they could be proud of. They also found that by establishing HIV education programmes for their employees they could play a vital role in preventing the spread of the virus.
HIV/AIDS education and training for all staff
Widespread misinformation leading to unfounded fears of transmission is often the route cause of HIV discrimination in the workplace. One of the best ways of reducing fear is to introduce an HIV/AIDS education programme for all staff.
ACET offers a full range of HIV-related training services for all your staff at very competitive prices. All courses can be tailored to meet your specific requirements in an effective and cost-efficient way. Furthermore, we will work with you to ensure that your workplace is a safe, happy and productive environment for all your employees.
For more information contact ACET
Last updated April 2010