Yesterday's Washington Post article On the Job with HIV caught my eye. It's about Jennifer Munthali, who told her boss at Catholic Relief Services (CRS) that she was HIV positive in 2004, shortly after starting her new job there.
Her manager handled the news well. But neither he nor Munthali was sure what CRS's policy was on HIV treatment. She didn't know if her insurance at the Baltimore organization would cover her. And she didn't know what policy -- if any -- CRS had on HIV and AIDS treatment and support.
I wasn't really surprised to read about Munthali's story. My experience is that very few organizations have well-developed HIV/AIDS programs. But what most organizations don't know is that there is a GREAT resource available for free!
The CDC's Business Responds to AIDS website is chock full of helpful ideas to take your organization to the next level. Just on the front page are:
- All the resources your company needs to build a workplace program are in the Manager's Kit.
- The Labor Leader's Kit includes all the resources labor leaders need to build HIV/AIDS workplace programs.
- Is your workplace prepared to address HIV/AIDS-related issues? Use the new assessment tool to find out.
- Use the SHRM sample HIV/AIDS workplace policy as a resource for your workplace.
And if you need a little extra help in creating an HIV/AIDS program, give Strategic Sustainability Consulting a call! We can assist your organization in developing an HIV/AIDS policy, compiling information on your current health insurance policies, conducting employee and manager training, and maintaining an ongoing system of HIV/AIDS awareness building. Email me at Jennifer@sustainabilityconsulting.com for a complimentary consultation and we can talk about it!