The impact of HIV/AIDS on morale and productivity in a provincial government department : a case study

Abstract

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is likely to result in increased costs and declining productivity for the public sector, which eventually could lead to a decline in the morale of the employees. The enormity of the impact of HIV/AIDS will depend on the number of employees infected and affected, the composition and sustainability of the invention process and the benefits provided by the department, the capability of affected directorates and units to work with the skeleton staff and the indirect effects of HIV/AIDS on other employees within the department and thus on the overall departmental environment. As HIV infections advance into AIDS, infected and affected employees are likely to be absent from the workplace more often. The periods of absenteeism may affect the productivity of the department, as it is known that the employees are key in the implementation of both the department's and Gauteng and National Government's developmental programs. Over and above that it would also increase the personnel recruitment budget and prolong recruitment routes. AIDS deaths may lead directly to a reduction in the number of available employees, since the deaths occur mostly among employees in their most productive years or where employees are forced to attend the funeral of their relatives. As less experienced employees sourced from and ever dwindling pool of scarce skills replace experienced employees, productivity may be reduced. The impact of AIDS also depends on the skills of affected workers. In the event that skilled employee become sick or die from AIDS, the department may lose its institutlonal tract. The department should also consider having a resourced and well managed Employees Wellness Programme (EWP), which in turn will result in the broadening of new responsibilities for already burdened human resources and transformation units and substantially increases the medical costs. The insurance scheme of the government and other private medical insurers may become more expensive as insurance companies increase the premiums of coverage in response to high HIV prevalence rates in the department. Higher costs could hamper savings for other personal ventures and overburden the welfare system. HIV/AIDS in the workplace may also lead to increased funeral expenses for employees. Morale and productivity of the employees may also suffer as colleagues fall ill and die. Likewise, the growing demand for training and recruitment to replace the terminally ill officers will further increase costs suffered by the department. Another impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the economy is the impoverishment of households as able earners of income become incapacitated or die, which leads to a decline in the demand for some types of goods. The sectors producing those goods and services may find themselves with a shrinking market, which may eventually lead to declining profits for the organisations involved in the production of those good sand services