“It is inevitable that a firm doing business in the developing world will pay for AIDS .It just a question of when and how much” Lee Smith; Former president Levi Strauss international

Organizations are rapidly changing to accommodate expanding markets, increasing diverse workforce, and increasing public consciousness about how businesses should operate. Consequently, employee wellness and health programs are receiving attention.

HIV/AIDS has increasingly become an immense concern within a business setting, with the highest risk of HIV transmission coinciding with the peak years of productive life in adult men and women. HIVAIDS is now a factor that companies must now consider in its planning and operations.

HIV/AIDS poses a complex challenge for the global workforce. Impacts the health of employees and their dependents, absenteeism and productivity. At the same time, HIV/AIDS underscores the importance of employee rights, nondiscrimination, and confidentiality.

HIV/AIDS, if not addressed, will have an increasing impact on businesses. One of its first impacts is that it increases operational costs. As employees become sick the cost of providing health care rises.

 Death benefits increase, and recruiting and training costs grow as the company tries to replace lost personnel. At the same time, it reduces company income by lowering worker productivity andincreasing absenteeism. 

Uncontrolled, HIV/AIDS will also damage businesses in ways that are harder to quantify. One of the epidemic's most damaging features is its impact on morale.
HIV/AIDS usually affects people who are young. Watching increasing numbers of colleagues die before their time is depressing and difficult. Often, workers are afraid of colleagues who are infected, not least because they fear they too might be affected by it. The result is an atmosphere of tension, suspicion and discrimination within the workforce. HIV/AIDS issues, reduce the stigma associated with infection, and assure that workers remain productive.

 Companies cannot afford to ignore the problem of HIV/Aids. It is crucial that they create an HIV policy that assists them in addressing the problem head-on, the workforce has to be educated about the disease; condoms have to be distributed; counseling and testing should be offered; and sexually transmitted disease (STD) infection should be actively managed. A policy helps a company to set up and coordinate these initiatives.