HIV&Me Workplace

Why is HIV/AIDS a risk for SMEs?

In South Africa, about 11 million people work in the formal and informal sectors, most of which work in SME's. This reflects the key role of the SME sector on the economy. As a growing epidemic in South Africa, there are various economic effects that HIV/AIDS can have on your small business.

A study by the University of Port Elizabeth identified the disease as one of the three main factors that cause nearly 80% of South African start-ups to fail every year. The loss of a key employee due to AIDS can prove catastrophic, since in a small firm there may be no-one available or capable of taking on the specialised tasks of the employee too ill to work.

Why should SMEs care even if they have no affected staff working in the business?

The rate of infection is highest in the productive age groups (the working members of society). The economic effects will impact first on the household and family, then will ripple out to businesses and the macro-economy. The loss of income in the household equates to a shrinking consumer base, which will have an impact on all sectors of the economy.

What can a typical SME do to manage HIV/AIDS in the business?

1. Learn the facts about the disease (from a credible source)
2. Raise awareness amongst employees around all issues related to prevention and treatment
3. Have a wellness policy in place

What can an SME do to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS?

HIV positive people need HIV / AIDS education to provide help and support for them, enabling them to understand and to cope with the knowledge that they are infected with HIV. Education for HIV positive people should help to prevent the onward transmission of HIV. Workplace programmes such as an HIV/AIDS policy, voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), and antiretroviral therapy (ART) provision can also be administered. When receiving a HIV positive test result, many people feel they have been given a death sentence. HIV / AIDS education and counselling for HIV-positive people has several main goals:

1. To help people to cope with the trauma of a HIV positive test result
2. To inform HIV positive people about the nature of HIV and AIDS
3. To help them to confront any discrimination they may face as a result of being infected with HIV.
4. To enable them to lead full and healthy lives
5. To enable them, should they wish to have an active sexual life without passing the infection on to anyone else
6. To ensure that the infection isn't passed on by any other means - the sharing of injecting equipment, for example

Education, Awareness and Prevention

Education is the most effective measure in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The SME can provide HIV/AIDS life-skills training and empowerment programmes for all its employees. These can focus on:

1. Education on health promotion
2. Appropriate prevention and management of STIs and TB
3. Condom promotion and distribution
4. Counselling on risk reduction

What does the law say?

Employment Equity Act

The Code was issued in terms of Section 54(1)(a) of the Employment Equity Act, No. 55 of 1998, and is based on the principle that no person may be unfairly discriminated against on the basis of their HIV status. In order to assist employers and employees to apply this principle consistently in the workplace, the Code makes reference to other pieces of legislation.

Should you require more information on the above, the HIV&Me Workplace offers HIV/AIDS expertise and resources specifically designed for SMEs. Our programme aims to reduce the risk associated with HIV/AIDS, create a culture of care and enable your human capital to live productive and functional lives.

To arrange a needs analysis please email consulting@regency.org

Main Art sourced from Business Partners Limited