Sick leave

If the course of the AIDS disease causes an individual to use up all the sick and annual leave available, he or she may be forced to either take leave without pay or to make the decision to apply for disability and leave the job permanently. Neither of these is an attractive option.

Some employers have sick-leave banks or special procedures where co-workers are allowed to share either sick leave or annual leave with an individual in need. This can often become a very important part of contract language. It benefits not only people living with HIV or AIDS, but also people living with other intermittent diseases, like cancer, who use up leave time in large chunks. If your contract does not contain a provision for leave-sharing or a sick-leave bank, they should be considered.