NCJ Number
143039
Date Published
Unknown
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Guidelines are presented to help small businesses deal with AIDS in the workplace and reduce the disease's financial impact, legal implications, work disruption, and other effects.
Abstract
Most people infected with HIV are between 20 and 45 years of age and are currently employed. Further, due to medical advances, people with HIV are living and working longer. The increasing number of people with HIV and their extended life expectancy mean that more employees with HIV will be on the job in the future. AIDS can affect small businesses in such areas as insurance and health care costs, productivity, work disruption, customer concerns, employee morale, legal considerations, confidentiality and privacy, discrimination, disability requirements, and job accommodation. Small businesses need to educate management personnel and employees on AIDS and associated legal issues and must realize that most Federal, State, and local laws require employers to make reasonable accommodations for disabled employees. Small businesses also need to look at insurance issues and educational program development and costs. Facts about AIDS are provided, and resources available to small businesses in formulating appropriate AIDS policies are noted.