Unsolved issues

Before company management is able or willing to develop a HIV/AIDS workplace program, often some major practical issues need to be addresses. Unfortunately, a majority of business leaders do not perceive AIDS to be a corporate issue or even a potential treat to the company's resources. It is important for managers to prepare themselves to convince colleagues of the necessity to implement HIV/AIDS programs.

Below, five regularly occurring issues are described, together with the best tactic(s) to solve the issue. All the proposed solutions have in common that they address the rationale and benefits that HIV/AIDS programs have in operating a business.

How to get and sustain upper management commitment?

The establishment of a successful and sustainable HIV/AIDS workplace program is contingent upon genuine support from the upper-management team. The challenge here lies in the ability to advocate for HIV/AIDS as an important management issue in the workplace and the community.

Solution: management commitment is profitable.

Convince your senior management that it simply makes good business sense to manage AIDS in the workplace. Here are some major, often cost-saving, benefits of workplace programs:

• Easy integration into organizational structures.
• Minimizing work and production disruptions.
• Reduced problems of discrimination.
• Minmizing financial burdens (budget efficiency).
• Higher staff morale and productivity.
  

How to address beliefs that it is not the employer's role to address AIDS?

Businesses are often reluctant to initiate workplace programs because of inadequate knowledge or belief that it is not their role as an employer to do so. Because of the sensitivity of AIDS and the workplace, they fear their business will be affected when explicitly addressing AIDS in the workplace.

Solution: stressing the opportunities employers create when managing AIDS.

Avoid addressing the issue from a negative standpoint: something a business must do (according to law, moral obligations etc.) Instead, try to reframe the issue from a positive, challenging viewpoint. Addressing AIDS in the workplace will not only have a positive effect on staff, but will influence the wider community's perception of the company. Resulting in a (more) positive corporate image, lower recruitment costs, increasing sales etc.

How to respond to your manager's comment that 'AIDS is not a priority of your work'?

When convincing your senior manager that is part of your job to give attention to HIV/AIDS you may state that:

• The company has certain responsibilities for their workers that include the workplace environment, health, safety and knowledge and information in HIV prevention.
• Uninformed and infected staff will cause workplace inefficiency and potential conflicts.
• Poor morale of existing employees, who are uncertain of their future and employment by the company, will effect the company's competitiveness and future profits.

How to get businesses to implement AIDS workplace programs that is perceived as 'expensive'?

For many businesses it is the fear of high costs that stop them from implementing HIV/AIDS workplace programs. While one-off corporate donations are often easier to secure, initiating an integral HIV/AIDS program is much more difficult to negotiate.

Solution 1: reduced costs through good HIV/AIDS workplace programs.

Education and good HIV/AIDS policy making enables a company to reduce costs significantly. Some cost-saving benefits workplace programs offer are:

• Prevention from (expensive) firing, rehiring and retraining.
• Continuation of (high) productivity levels.
• Offering a better sense of job security.
• Creation of increased staff morale.
• Generating better community PR.

Solution 2: address the increase of costs.

In absence of a HIV/AIDS workplace program and policy, HIV infection rates among staff are likely to increase. In this case, businesses not only miss the direct economic benefits of HIV/AIDS management. These companies will also face an increase of assumed (indirectly related to HIV infections) and real (directly related to HIV infections) costs.

Getting business to adopt relevant HIV/AIDS policies.

Many businesses developing workplace programs often do so without developing policies that clearly describe the codes of conduct regarding HIV/AIDS and the workplace.

Solution: detailed instructions increase success of implementation.

The HIV/AIDS policy outlines exactly how the company will handle HIV in the workplace, what the workplace program entails, how it is administered and what benefits a HIV-infected employee is entitled to. The policy is therefore of crucial importance for a successful implementation of the workplace program.