|
Staff/Worker Education
Why Every Employer/Union Should Have an HIV/AIDS Staff/Worker Education Program
HIV/AIDS education and training communicate to the workforce that the employer/union is serious about maintaining a fair, healthy, and safe workplace for all staff/workers. Informed staff/workers then have the tools to protect themselves, educate their families, and provide leadership within the community.
What an HIV/AIDS Staff/Worker Education Program Should Cover
Facts and compassion. They are the primary focus of the staff/worker education part of an HIV/AIDS workplace program. Staff/workers should be made aware of the HIV/AIDS policies of their workplaces, and they should know where or to whom in the company they can turn with questions. Staff/workers should be given the facts about how HIV is and is not transmitted.
All staff/workers should be educated on equal employment opportunity laws that govern fair workplaces. Many workplaces also extend education in first aid and safety procedures. Knowledge of these laws and policies can help to foster a compassionate environment.
Focus of Staff/Worker Education
An effective staff/worker education program focuses on maintaining a comfortable workplace for HIV-positive workers and for their co-workers. It emphasizes individual privacy. HIV-positive staff/workers may wish to withhold their status from co-workers, or they may wish to disclose it. The situation can be sensitive not only for HIV-positive staff/workers but for everyone involved.
It is necessary for staff/workers to understand the disease's characteristics and the possible transmission routes. Facts about HIV that every staff/worker should know include:
- HIV is spread by sexual contact with an infected person, by needle-sharing among injecting drug users, or, less commonly and now rarely, through transfusions of infected blood or clotting factors (parts of blood plasma that help in clotting).
- HIV can be transmitted from an infected woman to her fetus or newborn during pregnancy, during labor and delivery, or after birth through breast-feeding.
- HIV cannot be transmitted by sharing restrooms, tableware, or office equipment or by social or casual contact.
Who Can Help?
These organizations can assist with inquiries about HIV/AIDS workplace programs:
American Red Cross
Office of HIV/AIDS Education
8111 Gatehouse Road, 6th Floor
Falls Church, VA 22042
Tel: 800-375-2040
Fax: 703-206-7754
Workplace: 800-375-2040
CDC Business and Labor Resource Service
P.O. Box 6003
Rockville, MD 20849-6003
Tel: 877-242-9760
TTY/TDD: 240-514-2780
Fax: 301-562-1050
International: 301-562-1098
info@hivatwork.org
Society for Human Resource Management
1800 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel: 800-283-SHRM (United States only)
Fax: 703-535-6490
International: 703-548-3440
|
