One in six large U.S. worksites (with more than 50 employees) and one in 15 small U.S. worksites (with fewer than 50 employees) have had an employee or employees with HIV infection or AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a workplace issue and designing, implementing and monitoring an HIV/AIDS workplace policy can help your organization educate its workforce about HIV and prevent future transmission of the disease.
It is estimated that between 1,039,000 and 1,185,000 persons in the United States are living with HIV or AIDS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HIV affects all segments of society, and the rate of infection is increasing among women, minorities, and youth- the current and future workforce.
Implementing an HIV workplace policy will help management and staff become aware of, and address HIV/AIDS through enhanced learning and communication opportunities. AIDS is preventable, and prevention is cost-effective. Implementing awareness and prevention efforts can help your employees understand how to lower their risk of HIV infection, and enable your employees to communicate prevention messages to their family and community.
Addressing HIV/AIDS through prevention, education, accommodation and treatment can mitigate long term legal and health care costs and increase the productivity of your employees. Creating a supportive environment and implementing workplace education can significantly increase the ability of employees with living with and affected by HIV/AIDS to remain productive.
If not addressed properly in the workplace, HIV/AIDS can affect your company's bottom line through reduced productivity, fractured team environments, absenteeism, and increased overhead costs. A comprehensive HIV/AIDS workplace policy not only addresses these workplace concerns, but also communicates to employees, their families and their communities the importance you place on their overall well-being, success, and happiness.
Becoming educated about and prepared for the impact of HIV or AIDS, including prevention education, treatment, and accommodations for an infected employee, can help mitigate costs, such as:
People with HIV/AIDS are protected from discrimination in the workplace, just as any other employees with disabilities are protected under Federal laws. In addition to the federal laws, some local and state laws further protect people with disabilities from discrimination. Additional laws also inform an HIV workplace policy.
