Workshop National AIDS Committee and business

In 2000, a workshop with business was organized by the National AIDS Committee (NAC) to gauge business interest and current involvement in HIV/AIDS prevention activities in the workplace. Below follows a brief summary.

Presentation Angkor Beer

The representatives from Angkor Beer stated that all workers are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Risk is especially high among beer promotion girls, as they face sexual risk taking. Angkor Beer is interested in HIV prevention because, as production increases, the company will expand its operation and depends more on its workers. Angkor Beer has embarked on a prevention program through monthly meetings with beer promotion girls and is attempting to improve AIDS awareness in the company in the hope of prevention discrimination. To date, 5 staff are HIV positive and 3 have already died of AIDS related illness. Infected staff are still paid a full salary and are given counseling.

First presentation by employee with HIV

A young woman in her twenties discussed the issue of living with HIV. She informed the audience that she received HIV from her husband. At that time, both she and her husband, were working in the seafood industry. When others found out both of them were fired from their jobs. Later, her husband was able to find a job with the Center for Hope. After one year her husband passed away and she then sold their property because she and her 3 children needed the money.

At the workshop she is heartened to hear that many employers do not discriminate against persons with HIV. She informed the audience that she has no ill symptoms currently and is currently assisting the Center for Hope to help young girls with HIV. She has identified and talked to numerous women, working in garment factories, who have paid sex with men after working hours.

Second presentation by employee with HIV

A second presentation was held by another young woman. She used to run a shop in the village. When people learned she had HIV they stopped buying from her. Her husband, who she got HIV from, wanted to commit suicide but she persuaded him not to do. He later got to work at the Support Group.

Two friends of her got fired from their jobs when their employer found out about their HIV status. Another HIV infected friend, who works as a beer girl, tries to appear as healthy as possible, so that her employer does not know she has HIV. She says, if he did, she might loose her job.

Third presentation by employee with HIV

The final presentation was done by a young man of years old. He knew he had HIV since 1996 when he was stationed at Koh Kong in the west of Cambodia. He has had sex with a sex worker and felt sorry for her and decided to buy her from the brothel owner for Baht 5,000. After that they lived together for a short period until she got ill. The hospital staff informed them that she had HIV. At that time he did not know what HIV was. "My main interest as a soldier was to stay alive. I was busy fighting and did not have anytime to know about AIDS." Now he works for the Home Care Team.

Breakout groups on managing AIDS

What to do if staff have HIV?

1. A management meeting should be held to develop a company HIV/AIDS policy. During this time information gathering should be done, such as other company HIV programs and policies and NGO related services.
2. Request decision support from the headquarters.
3. Invite an expert to develop an HIV/AIDS education program to increase knowledge and prevent risk behavior.
4. Create information services on HIV and AIDS in the company.
5. Train health staff, management and employees.
6. Encourage staff with HIV to continue normal working patterns.
7. Maintain salary after illness and until death.
8. Create a home care team in the company.

Impact upon the company

One of the main impacts HIV infections among staff has is an almost certain outbreak of rumoring and discrimination against the individual. An adequate reaction to this would be the provision of counseling to the individual and peer education to manage responses at the workplace.

Conclusions and recommendations

Recommendation 1: facilitating coordination

It is important to develop and maintain a network of higher management contacts. To facilitate the sustained network of senior management it was agreed that the NAC should assume the lead role in coordinating the business involvement in HIV/AIDS with NGO's and relevant government ministries.
The NAC should consider strengthening the network of AIDS organizations working with business. Coordination on activities that each organization is doing with business should be undertaken by the NAC in order for CARE Cambodia to effectively advocate and implement activities at the senior managerial level as well as the shop floor level.

Recommendation 2: sustained networking

Complementing this strategy, it is recommended that we also seek further collaboration with individual senior businesspersons who have already been active in past projects. A coordinated bi-monthly newsletter is one possible activity to maintain interest of businesses already implementing HIV/AIDS programs. Some senior business individuals may want to engage in workplace programs but don't know who to contact or how to go about doing this. Even in Thailand, many businesses want to conduct activities but have never heard of the Thailand Business Coalition on AIDS. Therefore, regular promotional activities, telephone calls, fax-out information or a newsletter should be considered.