Being Discriminated Against at Work?

If you think you’ve been discriminated against because of health factors or any other characteristic, it’s important to consult a lawyer if you can, says Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel for MALDEF. If you’re worried about the cost, many nonprofit organizations (such as MALDEF, Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union) and legal aid clinics take on discrimination cases at little or no cost to the client. It’s also important to document when discrimination occurs—and if the discrimination involves a health condition, such as HIV, that’s covered under disability law, to document that your employer knew of your condition and the fact that you required accommodation on the job. Saenz suggests creating and keeping an email that documents all this and the dates involved.

Another tell of whether your company supports poz workers: Whether its CEO joined in a call to end HIV travel restrictions, calling them “bad for business.” More than 20 CEOs signed an unprecedented pledge urging the repeal of laws and policies in 46 countries that still deport, detain, or deny entry to people solely because they are living with HIV. They represented companies including Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, Heineken, Merck, Gilead, Virgin, Kenneth Cole, OraSure, Aetna, and the NBA.