Misunderstandings, invasion of privacy and sometimes downright humiliating measures. Although developed nations often preach to the developing world about not stigmatizing people with HIV or AIDS, some Dutch employers aren't yet following that advice.
Ignorance about HIV and AIDS persists in the Netherlands, especially in the workplace, where the consequences can sometimes be harrowing. Personnel who have HIV and inform their employer are very likely to get negative reactions.
Roy, who works in healthcare, was told two years ago that he has HIV. He told his team leader, who responded by telling him to wear gloves at work. She saw him as a potential source of infection and a risk to his colleagues and patients. But HIV cannot be transmitted in such circumstances.
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Suspicion
Roy's story is not unique. Many people with HIV report that employers and managers don’t welcome them. A survey by the Dutch charity the AIDS Fund (Aids Fonds) shows that nearly half of Dutch companies prefer not to employ HIV-positive people on permanent contracts.
Moreover, eight out of ten executives believe that an applicant should mention during a job interview if he or she has HIV. That's against the law. An applicant is not required to report an illness unless a specific ailment or condition renders him or her unsuitable for the position.
The mistrust runs deep. Companies don’t want employees with HIV because they’re wrongly thought to take more time off work through sickness. Employers also want to reduce to a minimum the chance of infection to other workers. Ton Coenen, Director of the Aids Fund, says this shows there’s still a great deal of ignorance about the disease.
Misunderstandings
According to the Aids Fund, people with HIV are stigmatised in both higher and lower education, and also by employers and colleagues. The organisation has been campaigning for years to combat and remove the many misunderstandings about the disease. There’s also support from the employers' organisation VNO-NCW, which believes that better information is the solution to the stigmatisation of people with HIV.
With this additional information it should be possible for people with HIV to get a better reception in the workplace. That's exactly what didn't happen at the care institution where Roy used to work. He eventually resigned and made a new start. Understanding for people with HIV and knowledge about the virus and its effects varies from organisation to organisation, he says.
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