The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, in partnership with IBM, SAP and Deutsche Aidshilfe, invites employers to join the #workingpositively campaign with a commitment to being visible role models in their support for employees living with HIV. The campaign first launched in Germany in June 2019 and has expanded to Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Building on the success of the June 2019 German campaign that saw 100+ companies sign a declaration committing to end workplace discrimination against employees living with HIV, IBM & SAP worked together with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to extend the #workingpositively global campaign to the U.S. in 2020. Nearly four years later, we have seen continued commitment from our numerous corporate members.

Today, discrimination against people living with and impacted by HIV persists. Fear, stigma, and basic misinformation remain at the root of much of this discrimination, driving exclusions from private and public sector employment opportunities. Inclusive employers know that creating welcoming workplaces across a wide spectrum of workforce diversity is not only good business practice, but the right thing to do. Employers that create welcoming workplaces for employees living with HIV stand to benefit in workforce recruitment and retention as well as improve employee engagement and productivity.

Download and share the one pager for #workingpositively.

Descarga y comparte el resumen de la campaña #workingpositively.

A #workingpositively Conference

On December 1st, 2023, IBM and SAP hosted a #workingpositively Conference in honor of World AIDS Day. This conference included corporate signers of the #workingpositively Pledge alongside new signees. These companies networked with each other and shared best practices for fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in their workplaces for people living and working with HIV.

Carlhey Bolz (she/her), Deputy Director of Global Business Engagement on the Workplace Equality Team at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, participated in a panel discussion on World AIDS Day and HIV in the global workplace. Overall, this conference re-invigorated previous signers of the #workingpositively Pledge and inspired new companies to commit to cultivating a more inclusive workplace.

Watch the recording for the virtual event with ASL interpretation here.

Watch the recording for the virtual event without ASL interpretation here.

Learn more about the #workingpositively Pledge below.

The #workingpositively Pledge on behalf of employees living with HIV asks companies to commit to creating safe, supportive and inclusive spaces for people living with HIV and other chronic illnesses. Signatories to the pledge commit to:

• fight stigma and promote open, respectful cooperation for people living with HIV and other chronic illnesses.

• welcome employees living with HIV who can be open about their HIV status without fear of reprisal.

• create opportunities for employees to engage with HIV services and community-based organizations.

• honor privacy and never demand an HIV test during company medical examinations or ask an employee to disclose their HIV status.

• promote my commitment internally with our employees and publicly share my organization’s commitment on social media.

Member companies commit to the efforts enumerated in the pledge. There are no fees associated with membership.

Please return completed pledges to workplace@hrc.org. Join these companies below who have already signed the pledge.

Founding Members

• IBM
• SAP

Member Companies

• Accenture
• Black Knight Inc.
• Dominion Energy
• Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
• Gilead
• Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America
• Levi Strauss & Co.
• MAC Cosmetics
• Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
• Perkins & Will
• Pfizer
• Tech Data
  

Non-Profit Partners

• Cultural Vistas
• Deutsche Aidshilfe
• Fast-Track Cities International
• International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
• Population Services International (PSI)

2024 marks the 34th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), vital legislation establishing legal protections for people with disabilities including those living with HIV. These legal protections, while fundamental to creating an equitable playing field, do not end discrimination on their own. Rather, systemic education and training efforts are required to create lasting culture change to reduce bias and move towards inclusion.

Today, discrimination against people living with and impacted by HIV persists. Fear, stigma, and basic misinformation remain at the root of much of this discrimination and continue to drive exclusions from private and public sector employment opportunities.

Inclusive employers know that creating welcoming workplaces across a wide spectrum of workforce diversity is not only good business practice, but the right thing to do. Employers that create welcoming workplaces for people living with HIV stand to benefit in workforce recruitment and retention as well as increase employee engagement and productivity.

Here are a few remarks from leadership at our founding member companies:

HIV & Health Equity at HRC

Click here to learn more about HIV and how HRC is fighting to end the epidemic and fight the stigma.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Click here for a collection of federal HIV resources and information guides.