Employers' handbook on HIV/AIDS: a guide for action

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has become a global crisis affecting all levels of society. Increasingly affected is the business world, which is suffering not only from the human cost to the workforce but also in terms of losses in profits and productivity that result in many new challenges for both employers and employees.

Across the world, AIDS is having a direct and indirect impact on business. In the workplace, employers are experiencing reduced productivity as a result of employee absenteeism and death. Consequently, employers are being challenged to manage the impact of HIV/AIDS in the workplace, which includes dealing with issues of stigma and discrimination, changing requirements for health-care benefits, training of replacement staff, and loss of skills and knowledge among employees.

Based on feedback from members of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), and through IOE's extensive business networks, this handbook documents selected initiatives in the workplace, designed to minimize the impact of HIV/AIDS and to maximize prevention efforts.