Factors Associated With Food-Industry Discrimination Related to the Hiring and Retention of Persons With HIV/AIDS

Persons who are assumed to have HIV/AIDS are often subject to various forms of employment discrimination. Such actions may be taken because of an employer's fear of contagion or the presumed response of co-workers, customers or others, fears of increased insurance costs, preexisting prejudice against gay men or intravenous drug users, and other reasons. One industrial sector where such discrimination appears to be widespread is the food-service industry. Many employers in food-service establishments believe that the known or rumored presence of an infected worker in their business will drive away customers, and result in substantial loss of revenue. Of course a major reason for this concern surrounds unsubstantiated fears of HIV contamination. The present study gauges the feelings of sixty-eight independent food-service supervisors in Illinois. It focuses specifically on the consequences that employers feel may follow in the wake of a known infected employee, the degree to which employers might take discriminating actions against persons, and the knowledge employers have of HIV contagion in the workplace. This study found that both the fear of consequences and the potential for discrimination were quite high, and significantly correlated with one another. Specific factors that employers noted as being principle sources of concern include the possible loss of customers, and the degree of disruption that might occur in the workplace resulting from a suspected case of HIV/AIDS among employees.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Social Work

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

1997

Author dc:creator

• O'Brien, Gerald Vincent

Contributors dc:contributor

• Charles Cowger

• Sociology, Industrial and Labor Relations

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI9737210

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/87344