Communicating to Your Workforce
Educate Your Employees and Their Families About Prevention
Although new preventive therapies are available, the best way to prevent HIV is through prevention education. By replacing myths with facts, you can promote understanding about HIV transmission and prevention. You will reduce employee fear and misinformation, which can lead to discrimination and work disruption. Additionally, your leadership will help to provide a health workforce and a supportive environment for your employees.
An employee and family education program can also establish a broad understanding of your workplace policy. Possible education activities at the worksite include:
- Offering seminars with basic facts about HIV infection and AIDS. Invite outside speakers in addition to organizing internal discussion groups. Make sure you include question-and-answer periods.
- Distributing payroll inserts and brochures on HIV prevention for employees and their families.
- Displaying posters in the workplace about HIV and AIDS.
- Presenting HIV/AIDS prevention videos at company meetings or training programs.
- Providing educational materials or seminars to your employees for their families.
Materials and technical assistance are available through BLRS. BLRS can also refer you to organizations in your community that offer assistance with employee education. The organizations may include your local health agencies, the American Red Cross, United Way, AIDS service organizations, or other community-based organizations.
Establish a Workplace Policy
Your written policy defines your company's response to HIV and AIDS. Some of
the issues that should be included are:
- Compliance with Federal, State, and local laws, including the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and OSHA guidelines
- Hiring, promotion, transfer, reasonable accommodation, and dismissal policies with regard to employees and potential employees with HIV and AIDS
- Maintaining confidentiality of employee medical records and information
- Examining benefits programs available to employees and family members with HIV infection and AIDS
- defining ways management will address workplace discrimination
- Promoting prevention and understanding through employee education
Learn more about establishing a workplace policy that defines your company's response to HIV and AIDS.
Train Yourself, Managers, Supervisors, and Labor Leaders
Once you have developed a workplace policy, educate managers, supervisors, and
union leaders about the policy. Make sure they understand the importance of the
policy and how it will be implemented. Managers should help implement the policy
and serve as information resources for other employees.
Support Community Service and Volunteerism to Respond to HIV and AIDS
As a business leader, you can help your community respond to the challenges
of HIV infection and AIDS. Through volunteering, financial contributions, and
in-kind assistance, you can make a difference. Either personally or through your employees, assist in increasing resources to support local education and service
programs. Some possibilities include:
- Helping to plan your community's response to HIV and AIDS. You may work with
local coalitions, planning committees, town meetings, or civic and social clubs.
- Providing local organizations with in-kind services or materials. You may
provide loaned executives or offer stationery, printing services, clerical services,
office equipment, access to copying machines, and use of your facilities for
meetings.
- Participating in or supporting education programs offered by local schools
and other community organizations.
- Volunteering for local HIV and AIDS-related programs and activities. You or your employees may donate time to help implement programs or provide
direct assistance to people with HIV or AIDS.
- Donating some of your business' charitable funds to HIV and AIDS-related
community programs.
- Sponsoring or participating in AIDS-related community activities.
