Protecting the Rights of Workers Living with HIV/AIDS: A South African Case Study

This paper deals with how the primary (human) rights implicated in this context, namely the right to non-discrimination, privacy and confidentiality, a healthy work environment and the continuation of the employment relationship, have been incorporated into South African legislation and in the workplace policies and practices of selected South African employers. For a number of reasons, the focus will be on the response of the South African mining industry to the epidemic. Ethical issues are raised by these policies and practices, and also pros and cons of the various approaches that have been adopted. The overall aim of the paper is to contribute to the identification and development of a set of best practices in the area of HIV/AIDS and the world of work.