Anhui Provincial Labor and Social Security Department, Anhui Provincial Federation of Trade Unions and three other provincial departments have issued a joint notice about the equitable employment opportunities for HIV-infected people and AIDS patients.
Due to misunderstandings about HIV/AIDS, people living with HIV/AIDS are often excluded from the work place, or suffer unfair treatment on wage benefits and social security. The notice stipulates that employers must not exclude or discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS, or their family, in employment, promotion, benefits, medical insurance, and the change and termination of labor contracts.
Moreover, to protect the privacy of people living with HIV/AIDS, employers are not allowed to force employees to have HIV tests in the process of recruitment and employment unless there are special requirements in certain occupations and sectors prescribed by the national government. As to those who volunteer to take the test, employers should keep the health information — including a positive test for HIV — secret. Information such as names of patients and their relatives, address, working place, pictures, and other information that might reveal an individual's identity must not be made public without the permission of the employee or their guardians.
The province will conduct supervision and inspection on the recruitment and employment practices of employers to prevent employment discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS.
