HIV/AIDS | The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE)

Although on a downward trend, the HIV/AIDS epidemic remains a global crisis affecting all levels of society. The business world has not been spared - suffering not only the loss to the workforce but also in terms of profits and productivity, resulting in many new challenges for both employers and employees.

Employers have been experiencing reduced productivity as a result of employee absenteeism and death and are consequently challenged to manage the impact of HIV/AIDS in the workplace, including dealing with issues of stigma and discrimination, changing requirements for healthcare benefits, training of replacement staff, and loss of skills and knowledge among employees.

The leadership role played by business in tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic is gaining increasing recognition. With the impact of this deadly scourge being felt most among those of working age, HIV/AIDS has become a key workplace issue. Global partnerships are therefore an essential part of the response.

In this respect, FKE has developed close working relations with ILO, UNAIDS and other partners to sustain discussions and the fight against HIV/AIDS at the workplace. FKE has championed the fight against HIV and AIDS Pandemic since 1988,and has developed the first Guideline on HIV and AIDS at the Workplace.

Enhance Private Sector capacity to prevent new infections and mitigate the socio-economic impact of HIV and AIDS in the Workplace (and in the surrounding community).
FKE launched the National Code of Practice in July 2009
Dissemination of the ILO Recommendation on HIV and AIDS and the world of Work, 2010 (No. 200) in July 2011.
Clustered HIV and AIDS Enterprise Partnership (CHEP) Network:

The CHEP Network is a Federation of Kenya Employers strategy to increase reach and promote sustainability of the HIV interventions in the world of work among Employers. Companies in counties come together to form a cluster where they share their experiences on how to minimize the incidence of HIV at their workplaces and mitigate the negative impact of HIV and AIDS.