The benefits of acting at the workplace
Over 90% of people with HIV are adults in their productive prime - workers, employers, managers in all sectors.
The workplace is where they come together, where information messages can be shared, and policies, regulations, and training
adapted to include HIV/AIDS.
Companies usually take action on AIDS for a mixture of reasons: they see the cost benefits and they have a sense of corporate
responsibility.
| It makes sense to take action at the workplace because the workplace is directly affected by the epidemic:
| | • | HIV/AIDS has a huge impact on the world of work - threatening the livelihoods of workers and employers and undermining employment rights, reducing the supply of labour and available skills, increasing labour costs and reducing productivity.
A report from the ILO (see below) shows that as many as 36 million of the 39 million people living with HIV are engaged in some form of productive activity, and at least 26 million workers have the virus.
| | • | Many workplace situations and work patterns actually increase the risk of workers contracting HIV, the virus which causes AIDS. This is the case for many migrant workers, for example those in South African mines, and long-distance transport workers, all of whom are separated from their homes and families for long periods. Violence and harassment at the workplace are also factors of risk, especially for women.
| | • | A number of workers are exposed to the risk of being infected at work, for example in the health services.
| | • | Many countries have now adopted legislation dealing specifically with the subject of HIV/AIDS and employment: employers and workers' representatives share responsibility for enforcing these laws.
| | • | The workplace provides opportunities to protect the rights of those affected through the development of appropriate policies; to reduce infection by education and practical measures for prevention; and to manage the impact and costs of the epidemic through care and support to help infected workers live and work for longer.
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Women: a double burden
Women bear the brunt of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Half of those infected are women, but they make up 60% of new infections – and an even higher proportion of younger women (15 – 24). They also take a greater share of the burden of care – this often includes girls being taken out of school to look after sick relatives, or contribute to family income.
The growth in child labour
HIV/AIDS affects the education of children and the pattern of child labour across the world. There are estimated to be 14 million children under the age of fifteen who have lost one or both parents to AIDS, 95% of them in Africa. By 2010, there could be 35 million. The epidemic forces children out of school and into child labour, often into exploitative and extremely hazardous forms of work. Young female orphans are especially vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
High drop-out rates from schools will lower still further the qualifications and skill level of the workforce. This in turn, will have a negative impact on productivity.
> Go to step 3
If AIDS doesn't directly affect your workplace today, it may tomorrow - if you don't take action. What can you do?
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