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HIV & AIDS Education

HIV/AIDS Education for Employees/Workers

Talking to Your Manager

People living and working with HIV/AIDS are challenged to manage and plan for an ever-changing set of health care needs and financial demands—all while maintaining motivation and self-esteem. Employees need social and emotional support while still continuing to be productive workers. Managers and employees benefit from direct communication about HIV/AIDS and about the capabilities (and difficulties) of people living with HIV/AIDS in the workplace.

The decision to disclose HIV status is the prerogative of the employee living with HIV/AIDS. It is illegal for an employer to ask a current or prospective employee about HIV status. In addition, employers have a legal obligation to protect every worker’s medical confidentiality.

Employees may have to disclose some health information to managers or supervisors in order to seek an accommodation.

How do I talk with my Manager about HIV/AIDS?



Disclosure of one’s HIV status can take place in many settings. Some employees have chosen to disclose it in letters to colleagues or work groups; others do so in face-to face meetings with individuals or groups. Senior managers or CEOs may be present. Human resources personnel may be present or nearby, and available to facilitate discussion and provide information about HIV/AIDS.

Employees may inform managers of their health condition but request that the information be kept confidential; and by law, the employer must comply with that request. Many employees with HIV/AIDS believe that continuing to work is critical to their mental and physical health and survival. Work can provide a sense of purpose, financial support, productiveness, continuity, involvement, and peer support. In our culture and society, a person’s work and profession often hold deep ethical, economic, and personal significance.

How can managers and supervisors help?



Every employer faces the challenge of helping to reduce the rate of HIV infection to protect the present and future workforce. Here are some steps to providing a reliable, informative program for your employees and their families:

  • Develop and communicate/publish a company policy on HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses so that employees understand what to expect at work and how the policy may affect their families and communities.
  • Assess the employee’s need and desire for education for themselves and their families.
  • Call the CDC’s Business and Labor Resource Service (BLRS) at 1- 877-242-9760 for technical assistance and referrals to local or state agencies that may be of assistance.
  • Check with other businesses in your area to learn what they have done. You may get useful referrals to agencies and providers.
  • Screen providers of HIV/AIDS education to find a good “fit” with your company and community. Ask for references. Look for providers who are committed to stopping the epidemic from a public health point of view.
  • Invite employees to serve on a task force to provide input for your family education programs.
  • Implement the other components of the Business Responds to AIDS/Labor Responds to AIDS (BRTA/LRTA) programs:
    • train managers, supervisors, and labor leaders;
    • educate employees and their families;
    • and support community involvement and volunteerism (e.g., sponsor a health fair).
  • Provide a family education presentation with materials for employees to take home.
  • Seek input from a wide spectrum of HIV education resources, such as state health departments and local HIV/AIDS service organizations.
  • Give the feedback to your task force members and ask them to consider it in their ongoing planning.
  • Provide materials for employees to take home.
  • Make family HIV/AIDS education an ongoing project. Due to employee turnover and the inevitable aging of employees’ children, it is important to offer family HIV/AIDS education periodically.

How can I help?



First, educate yourself. Then, help your family and friends learn about HIV prevention. Just by talking, you may help save a life. Next, get involved in your community. Start or join a project at your worksite, at your child’s school, at your church or synagogue, or at any community organization. And remember, you won’t get HIV from being a volunteer.

Business Responds to AIDS/Labor Responds to AIDS (BRTA/LRTA) serves to increase and enhance workplace education, training, and support of employees, managers, and family members. Contact the Business and Labor Resource Service at 1-877-242-9760.