Dignity, Discrimination, and Legal Implications: The Politics of Aids in Private and Public Sector Work Settings: A Comparative Analysis

Jonathan L. Black-Branch


DOI: 10.2190/XRU5-RHJE-F3R0-CD2V

Abstract

This article reports on a research study designed to elicit information about discrimination against HIV/AIDS sufferers in two contemporary work settings, one in the private sector, the other in the public sector. It focuses on building an understanding of how HIV/AIDS is viewed and the extent to which discrimination exists in the workplace today.

This article discusses the nature of discrimination, the employment status of HIV/AIDS sufferers, the legal status of HIV/AIDS sufferers, values system, and decision making regarding what is best for the organization, the perceived moral and ethical obligations of the victim and the employer, the moral responsibility of the victim to other employees, myths associated with HIV/AIDS, and the facts affiliated with discrimination against HIV/AIDS sufferers. While, the general feeling about HIV/AIDS is quite similar in the two work settings, there are a number of important differences between the two sectors.

The article offers recommendations for workplace evaluation and monitoring to prevent HIV/AIDS-related discrimination and to foster better work productivity while preventing litigation based on discriminatory and illegal practices against HIV/AIDS victims.


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