The National AIDS Trust has launched ‘HIV and Recruitment’ – a guide for employers and job applicants living with HIV, to help employers avoid unintentionally discriminating against during the recruitment process.

The guide provides clear, practical advice to help ensure that the recruitment process is free from discrimination and unfair treatment.

It gives guidance to employers on how to ask questions about disability, sick leave, gaps in employment, and medical history in application forms and interviews. It also explains what employers’ legal obligations are if an applicant discloses their HIV status, including data protection issues.

Despite the legal protections they now receive, the majority of workers living with HIV are still reluctant to disclose their status to their current or potential employer for fear of facing discrimination. According to recent research by Jonathan Elford from City University, London, only 31% of white gay men and 16% of non-white gay men living with HIV had told their employer they were HIV-positive. By not disclosing, the majority of HIV-positive people are denying themselves the rights entitled them to.

Deborah Jack, chief executive of the National AIDS Trust, says: “By putting practices in place to avoid HIV-related discrimination in recruitment, employers can encourage applications from people living with HIV and benefit from the skills and talents of these individuals.” 

Copies of the Recruitment Guide, produced as part of the award winning Ensuring Positive Futures project, are available free of charge from the National AIDS Trust website at www.employment.nat.org.uk.