HIV Discrimination In The Workplace
| People living with HIV need legal protection at work because they face heavy social discrimination and people dislike working or staying with HIV positive people around them. Earlier, individuals had no option but to put up with the disapproval of other people’s discriminatory behavior. |
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However, with the enactment of the Disability Discrimination Act from December 5, 2005, this discrimination is being seriously checked. Greater awareness is being generated to erase the fear and ignorance about HIV transmission. The Disability Discrimination Act covers various aspects such as the adjustments needed at the place of employment, trade union membership and the provision of legal support and other facilities to individuals living with HIV.
People living with HIV are protected from discrimination at work place from the time of their diagnosis and possess the right to request for ‘reasonable adjustments’ if they genuinely need them in order to change certain aspects of the workplace environment (such as the physical workplace or the working practices) to make adjustment easier. People living with HIV need not inform their employers about their HIV status or consider themselves as disabled except in a case where the person is a health care professional involved in performing surgeries.
Discrimination against people living with HIV at the work place is unfair and causes the abilities of the person living with HIV to get wasted. One must report any such incidents of HIV discrimination because such form of discrimination is illegal and employers who fail to protect the individual’s rights or provide a fair work place environment can face legal action as well as penalty.
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Hiv Discrimination In The Workplace
