Few Workers Exposed to AIDS on the Job, Expert Panel Says

A panel of health and employment experts concluded Wednesday that most workers do not risk getting AIDS at work, and it advised companies against screening current or prospective employees for AIDS or the HIV virus.

The 36-member panel, meeting under the auspices of the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization, also recommended that workers suffering from AIDS or those infected with the AIDS virus be given the same access to health benefits as other workers.

It said employees should feel “no obligation” to inform their employers whether they have acquired immune deficiency syndrome or are infected with HIV, which causes the deadly disease.

The panel, representing 18 countries, also said HIV infection was not a reason to fire an employee. It recommended that “reasonable alternative working arrangements should be made” if a worker’s ability to do his job is impaired by AIDS.

The panel approved the guidelines for governments, employers and employees during a three-day meeting. It recommended that companies and national governments should develop “consistent policies and procedures.”