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#workingpositively

HRC partners with IBM, SAP, and Deutsche Aidshilfe to launch #workingpositively in the United States. This campaign invites employers to commit to being visible role models in support of employees living with HIV, AIDS, and other chronic illnesses.

#workingpositively

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About the Campaign

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, in partnership with IBM, SAP and Deutsche Aidshilfe, invites employers to join the #workingpositively campaign with a commitment to being visible role models in their support for employees living with HIV. The campaign first launched in Germany in June 2019 and has expanded to Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Building on the success of the June 2019 German campaign that saw 100+ companies sign a declaration committing to end workplace discrimination against employees living with HIV, IBM & SAP worked together with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to extend the #workingpositively global campaign to the U.S. in 2020. Nearly four years later, we have seen continued commitment from our numerous corporate members.

Today, discrimination against people living with and impacted by HIV persists. Fear, stigma, and basic misinformation remain at the root of much of this discrimination, driving exclusions from private and public sector employment opportunities. Inclusive employers know that creating welcoming workplaces across a wide spectrum of workforce diversity is not only good business practice, but the right thing to do. Employers that create welcoming workplaces for employees living with HIV stand to benefit in workforce recruitment and retention as well as improve employee engagement and productivity.

Download and share the one pager for #workingpositively.

Descarga y comparte el resumen de la campaña #workingpositively.

2023 World AIDS Day

A #workingpositively Conference

On December 1st, 2023, IBM and SAP hosted a #workingpositively Conference in honor of World AIDS Day. This conference included corporate signers of the #workingpositively Pledge alongside new signees. These companies networked with each other and shared best practices for fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in their workplaces for people living and working with HIV.

Carlhey Bolz (she/her), Deputy Director of Global Business Engagement on the Workplace Equality Team at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, participated in a panel discussion on World AIDS Day and HIV in the global workplace. Overall, this conference re-invigorated previous signers of the #workingpositively Pledge and inspired new companies to commit to cultivating a more inclusive workplace.

Watch the recording for the virtual event with ASL interpretation here.

Watch the recording for the virtual event without ASL interpretation here.

Learn more about the #workingpositively Pledge below.

The #workingpositively Pledge

The #workingpositively Pledge on behalf of employees living with HIV asks companies to commit to creating safe, supportive and inclusive spaces for people living with HIV and other chronic illnesses. Signatories to the pledge commit to:

fight stigma and promote open, respectful cooperation for people living with HIV and other chronic illnesses.

welcome employees living with HIV who can be open about their HIV status without fear of reprisal.

create opportunities for employees to engage with HIV services and community-based organizations.

honor privacy and never demand an HIV test during company medical examinations or ask an employee to disclose their HIV status.

promote my commitment internally with our employees and publicly share my organization’s commitment on social media.

Member Companies

Member companies commit to the efforts enumerated in the pledge. There are no fees associated with membership.

Please return completed pledges to workplace@hrc.org. Join these companies below who have already signed the pledge.

Founding Members

  • IBM
  • SAP

Member Companies

  • Accenture
  • Black Knight Inc.
  • Dominion Energy
  • Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
  • Gilead
  • Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America
  • Levi Strauss & Co.
  • MAC Cosmetics
  • Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
  • Perkins & Will
  • Pfizer
  • Tech Data

Non-Profit Partners

  • Cultural Vistas
  • Deutsche Aidshilfe
  • Population Services International (PSI)

The Business Case

2024 marks the 34th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), vital legislation establishing legal protections for people with disabilities including those living with HIV. These legal protections, while fundamental to creating an equitable playing field, do not end discrimination on their own. Rather, systemic education and training efforts are required to create lasting culture change to reduce bias and move towards inclusion.

Today, discrimination against people living with and impacted by HIV persists. Fear, stigma, and basic misinformation remain at the root of much of this discrimination and continue to drive exclusions from private and public sector employment opportunities.

Inclusive employers know that creating welcoming workplaces across a wide spectrum of workforce diversity is not only good business practice, but the right thing to do. Employers that create welcoming workplaces for people living with HIV stand to benefit in workforce recruitment and retention as well as increase employee engagement and productivity.

Here are a few remarks from leadership at our founding member companies:

At IBM, we’re committed to creating a safe and inclusive workplace for every employee. As we work together to address inequalities across social, economic and demographic factors, we know that understanding the unique experience of others is key to equality. By listening to and learning from those living with HIV, we are building a workplace and society free of stigma where everyone can be visible and supported.

Carla Grant-Pickens, VP, Global Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, IBM

We have a great opportunity, and a responsibility, as a global firm to ensure we do everything we can to offer a safe environment in which employees feel they belong and can thrive. SAP is proud of #WorkingPositively, an initiative that aims to de-stigmatize employees living with HIV and other chronic illnesses.

Luka Mucic, Chief Financial Officer and member of Executive Board, SAP

#workingpositively Employer Resources

Making it Real: Workplace Inclusion for People with HIV

Inclusive employers know that creating welcoming workplaces across a wide spectrum of workforce diversity, including people living with HIV, is not only the right thing to do, but is also good business practice.

Learn more

HIV: Legal Landscape for Employers

Employees living with HIV are protected from employment discrimination under Federal legislation.

Learn more

HIV: History of Corporate Engagement

Corporate support for HIV isn't new. For nearly 30 years, corporations in the United States have engaged in the HIV awareness movement in various ways, intersecting and paralleling the call for LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

Learn more

HIV-Affected Employee Resources

EEOC: What You Should Know: HIV/AIDS & Employment Discrimination

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission summarized an HIV-affected person's federally protected rights in the United States.

Learn more

ILO: Workplace policy on HIV/AIDS

International Labor Organization published a guide on HIV workplace policies and procedures with example policies.

Learn more

UNESCO: HIV/ AIDS Workplace Policy

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization published a report with basic information on HIV and example policies for an inclusive workplace.

Learn more

HIV & Health Equity at HRC

Click here to learn more about HIV and how HRC is fighting to end the epidemic and fight the stigma.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Click here for a collection of federal HIV resources and information guides.

Related Content

#workingpositively: Global

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#workingpositively: Latin America

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