The potential impact of HIV/AIDS on the financial performances of S. A. companies

Despite the seriousness of HIV and AIDS affecting productivity at workplaces, little attention is being paid to the special needs of the infected people in the world of work and the ultimate reality this will have on the companies' financial health.HIV/AIDS retards economic development and business growth.The epidemic influences the workforce and markets in which business operates.Business must play a leading part in the internal response to HIV/AIDS pandemic.This is both an ethical imperative and the key to business success.Most research conducted on the subject mainly concentrated on the effects of HIV and AIDS on productivity, emphasizing absenteeism as the direct cause of low productivity.The costs of HIV and AIDS will be felt beyond the direct effect of the disease.The indirect costs include the following:  The increased costs of recruiting and training, given the extra deaths and disabilities expected. The negative effect on staff morale  Loss of time as a result of management and labor meetings to discuss the AIDS crisis as it develops, this resulting in loss of turnover and profits.With the rising prevalence of HIV/AIDS, businesses should be increasingly concerned about the impact of the disease on their organizations-concerns that should be well founded.At the broadest level, businesses are dependent on the strength and vitality of the economies in which they operate.HIV/AIDS raises the costs of doing business, reduces productivity and lowers overall demand for goods and services.The research process in this article focused particularly on workplace issues, which are a key dimension of the relationship between corporations and HIV/AIDS.Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.