HIV / AIDS – Questions about testing workers
This article was written by Marvellous Maids, a company that specialises in placing domestic workers.
We are asked on a daily basis about having domestic workers tested for HIV/Aids. The short answer is NO.
Of course you may ask someone to be tested and even make the arrangements with your own medical practitioner for the test to be done, but you cannot demand that someone be tested or make his or her employment dependant on their agreement to be tested.
Should your domestic worker agree to be tested for HIV/Aids, he or she will have to sign an informed consent form even before blood may be drawn. The worker will receive counseling before the test and will be asked if they are undergoing testing as a pre-condition of employment. They will then be counseled that they are not legally obliged to undergo the test or to inform their employer of the results
Read more about this issue on the Marvellous Maids website
The idea that an employer could even consider asking an employee to test for HIV does not sit well with me. As a mother, I understand safety concerns. But in all the years that you have a maid, how many times has she been injured enough to bleed in your home, and for the chance for you and your children to touch the blood? It has never happened in the 20 years I’ve have different helpers. And as the article says, universal precautions are always necessary regardless of whether you know the person’s status or not.
I also wonder what the employer would do if he/she found out that the helper was actually HIV positive. You certainly can’t fire her on that basis without getting sued!