The well-being of HIV/AIDS employees

M.A.Virtually unheard of two decades ago, AIDS is, at the turn of the century, one of the best known and most talked about disease on the globe. A decade ago, HIV was regarded primarily as a serious health crisis. What had first appeared to be a disease confined to certain well-defined populations such as gay men and haemophiliacs became a disease that threatened everyone, everywhere. AIDS has become a fullblown threat to development and its social and economic consequences are felt widely not only in the workplace but also in the human resource field and the economy in general. The HIV epidemic is the most important challenge facing South Africa since the birth of democracy. The implications of HIV in the workplace are scary. Even though HIV affects all of us, it has become a workplace issue that must be addressed simply because work is one of the most important dimensions in the life of the individual. The workplace can be a scene of prejudice, discrimination, rejection and harassment, for people affected by HIV, and those feelings are fuelled by ignorance and fear of infection. HIV-positive employees suffer high levels of depression, anxiety, fear and a great degree of uncertainty associated with the diagnosis. Instead of rejecting, stigmatising and isolating positive employees, a collective commitment is needed by the workplace to treat positive employees with dignity and respect. Because the workplace is such an important element in the individual's life, it has been demonstrated to be life lengthening and fulfilling for employees to remain in familiar, supportive and productive surroundings even after being diagnosed HIV-positive (Masi, 1993). The researcher examined how HIV affects employee functioning in the work environment. A qualitative research design is followed using a framework based on Straus and Corbin (1990). Purposive, non-probability sampling is used. Data is captured by using an unstructured, open-ended interview schedule. In this study data analysis is completed manually. Literature is reviewed to validate the findings and lastly conclusions and recommendations are presented