HIV & Employment

Federal and state laws make it illegal for any place of employment to discriminate against employees based on their HIV status. But, that doesn’t mean you have to disclose your HIV-positive status to people at work.

Here are some tips on what to consider before telling people at work about your status, and learn more about how HIV does—and doesn’t—affect your employment status.

DISCLOSING YOUR STATUS AT WORK

There are a few things to consider if you’re thinking about sharing your status with colleagues at work.

• How long have you been living with HIV? Are you comfortable enough with your status to be open about it?
• What are some common questions your coworkers might ask? How much feels appropriate to share? How will you let people know that some things are private?
• What’s your motivation for disclosing, and what benefits might disclosing bring?
• How could it backfire? There may be things that happen that might be hurtful or harmful, but not rise to the level of legal discrimination.
• Do you know your rights?

A RESOURCE GUIDE: EMPLOYMENT AND LIVING WITH HIV

This comprehensive guide, produced by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy, provides information about employment for people with HIV. It covers the following topics:

• Legal rights and protections;
• Resources and strategies for getting a job; and,
• Financial impacts and tax incentives.

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE