Why companies should intervene: a case study of the costs of HIV / AIDS to employers. Economic impact: Southern Africa.

5 member companies of the Botswana Business Coalition on AIDS (BBCA) in the manufacturing transport distribution and finance sectors participated in a pilot study of the impact of HIV/AIDS upon companies in Botswana. The study was conducted on behalf of the Botswana National Task Force on AIDS in the Workplace and involved both management and employee teams from the participating companies. While HIV is usually not spread in the course of work company characteristics such as having a mobile well-paid work force poor housing or a high community HIV prevalence may increase employees susceptibility to contracting and transmitting HIV. Companies susceptibility to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic was assessed through interviews with management and employees. The transport sector was at highest risk while the finance sector was at lowest risk. Assessing the HIV/AIDS impact lost labor time due to sick leave the costs of other benefits future HIV/AIDS cases and health costs and regional comparisons of the HIV/AIDS impact are considered. The most significant HIV/AIDS-related cost to the businesses in this study is the cost of lost work time due to employee illness.