Other HIV Laws | Connecticut

Persons with disabilities, such as HIV/AIDS, may experience health-related problems that make it difficult to meet some job requirements or duties.  For example, a person may be exhausted or fatigued and find it difficult to work a full-time schedule.

In certain circumstances, the employer has an obligation to modify or adjust job requirements or workplace policies in order to enable a person with a disability, such as HIV or AIDS, to perform the job duties.  Under the ADA and the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act, this is known as a “reasonable accommodation.”

Przykłady uzasadnionych udogodnień obejmują:

• Modyfikowanie lub zmiana zadań i obowiązków służbowych;
• Ustalenie harmonogramu pracy w niepełnym wymiarze godzin lub zmodyfikowanego harmonogramu pracy;
• Udzielanie urlopu w trakcie regularnych godzin pracy na wizyty lekarskie;
• Przeniesienie pracownika na wolne stanowisko; lub
• Dokonywanie zmian w fizycznym układzie miejsca pracy lub nabywanie urządzeń, takich jak wzmacniacz telefoniczny, aby umożliwić wykonywanie pracy na przykład osobie z wadą słuchu.

Nie ma ustalonego zestawu udogodnień, o które może wnioskować pracownik. Charakter wnioskowanych udogodnień będzie zależał od konkretnych potrzeb i sytuacji danego pracownika.

It is, with rare exception, the employee’s responsibility to initiate the request for an accommodation.  In addition, an employer may request that an employee provide some information about the nature of the disability.  Employees with concerns about disclosing HIV/AIDS status to a supervisor should contact GLAD Answers at (800) 455-GLAD (4523) in order to strategize about ways to address any such requests.

No, an employer is not obligated to grant each and every request for an accommodation; an employer does not have to grant a reasonable accommodation that will create an “undue burden” (i.e., significant difficulty or expense for the employer’s operation).  In addition, the employer does not have to provide a reasonable accommodation if the employee cannot perform the job function even with the reasonable accommodation.

Ustalając, czy żądane udogodnienie stwarza dla pracodawcy nadmierne obciążenie lub trudności, sądy biorą pod uwagę szereg czynników, w tym:

• Wielkość, budżet i ograniczenia finansowe pracodawcy;
• Koszty wdrożenia żądanego udogodnienia; i
• W jaki sposób dostosowanie wpływa na działalność pracodawcy lub ją zakłóca.

Również w tym przypadku każda sytuacja jest rozpatrywana indywidualnie.

An employer only has an obligation to grant the reasonable accommodation if, as a result of the accommodation, the employee is then qualified to perform the essential job duties.  An employer does not have to hire or retain an employee who cannot perform the essential functions of the job, even with a reasonable accommodation.

Under Connecticut law (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 21a-65) specific provision is made for needle and syringe exchange programs in the health departments of the three cities with the highest number of AIDS cases among intravenous drug users.  These programs shall provide free and anonymous exchange of up to thirty needles and syringes per exchange and offer education about the transmission and prevention of HIV and offer assistance in obtaining drug treatment services.

Yes. Connecticut law permits a pharmacy, health care facility, or needle exchange program to sell ten or fewer syringes to a person without a prescription (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 21a-65 (b)).