Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times - Sunday, 22 August, 2004
The social stigma around HIV/Aids and the fear of being discriminated against remains a massive hurdle for business, says Brad Mears, CEO of the South African Business Coalition on HIV and Aids (Sabcoha).
"The success or failure of any Aids programme is directly linked to the levels of trust within a company," says Mears.
The fact HIV/Aids is a sexually transmitted disease exacerbates the stigma around Aids, as many communities are reluctant to speak out openly about personal and sexual issues.
Many people are also unaccustomed to the process of being tested for HIV.
Mears stresses the importance of long-term counselling, not only for employees but also for their spouses and children.
This is because of the enormous shock and trauma individuals experience when they discover they are HIV-positive. People sometimes become suicidal or resort to violence at home.
Mears says although human resources departments are moving away from a conflictual role focused on strikes and unfair dismissals, too many businesses regard health as a soft issue.
This could handicap the process of managers wanting to build up trust with their employees.
Offering first-hand advice, BMW South Africa MD Ian Robertson says one way companies can address this is by making staff feel more valued and respected.
But it takes time, because behavioural shifts do not happen overnight.
He says when BMW first introduced condom dispensers, hardly anyone touched them for the first eight or nine months.
However, the company now distributes some 30 000 condoms a month from 100 dispensers in the bathrooms.
One of the key challenges for companies that already have effective HIV/Aids programmes in place is to keep the issue high on the agenda, Robertson says.
At his company, employees are now going back for second tests.
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