job restrictions for pozzies

[next2u]

hello,

some of us were talking about jobs & careers tonight. it came up that we pozzies could not enlist in the military. then the conversation turned to law enforcement and the medical field.

can we be cops or prison guards?

what about nurses?

any other restrictions that y'all know of? i'm specifically referring to beginning new careers, not jobs where we become poz after being in the position.

best,
d

[skeebo1969]

  I know there are positive nurses and also positive police officers.  I know in the mid 90's there was a Miami police officer who was suing the city for discrimination over his status and if memory serves me correctly he won.

  Now as far as becoming a police officer I don't know, but I am almost certain one can become a nurse while positive.

[Atripla_User]

in the USA you don't have to divulge your business, it is their burden to see if you are taking illiegal drugs, you don't have to volunteer the info.

[alejandroglz]

I'm studying college rightnow and planning 2 go for nursing, I talk with the department of health in Chicago last month about nurses with HIV+ , and they said it should not be a problem with it. Proly I'll need just to get some special training and a letter from my doctor and that's it !

So don't worry 2 much, get your carieer in the field you like it and I wish u the best 2 be succesfull.

Good luck

[confidentIwillbeOK]

I spoke with a few docs and nurses in Massachusetts and at least here there are no restrictions.  I do not think they in general even need to disclose.  There have been older threads on here with the same info.  Perhaps there are some states with specific restrictions but I am not aware of them.  A few newly diagnosed med students and docs have posted here in the past (I searched for this very topic when I was also curious....)

[next2u]

thank you for the updates. i wish there was a way to query the nursing info for the state of california. i also wish to see the same info for law enforcement.

im sure there are areas in law enforcement we can work in. im not so sure about being on the beat, but forensics and stuff has to be open.

any more info?

[confidentIwillbeOK]

Check this link out:

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/aids/Pages/OAHIVAIDSLaws.aspx

...then click "A Brief Guide to California's HIV/AIDS Laws, 2006 (released May 2007) (PDF)Opens in a new browser window" and do a search on "employment".


Health and Safety Code Section 120980 prohibits the use of HIV testing to determine suitability for employment.


There may be more field specific info in there and you can probably call the Dept of Health Office of AIDS anonymously to ask:  (916) 449-5900

[next2u]

thank you! wow, that link was very informative. gotta be careful when going down the good ol rabbit's hole.

looks like health care workers are protected by ADA laws but there are restrictions to work based upon how invasive the procedures are.

hmm, there was nothing specific to law enforcement (that i saw). i'll have to keep looking.

best,
d

[megasept]

in the USA you don't have to divulge your business, it is their burden to see if you are taking illiegal drugs, you don't have to volunteer the info.

Hey. Great topic. On the one hand you're (abstractly) right, "in the USA you don't have to divulge your business" but it gets murkier and murkier.

If asked a few short pre-employment questions about your medical state, I'd now suggest POZ lie (about being POZ)! Yep, lie. You won't be "fired for lying on your application" which has been tbe mantra for years. Years ago it was common to be asked "Have you or anyone in your family been diagnosed or treated for mental illness?" Of course the answer was always "No," no matter the actual truth. But the days of the short questionnaire seem long gone. And potential members of Law Enforcement should not lie, before or after employment.

Drug screening for illegal drugs is accomplished through testing, so it's our burden, and their cost.

FYI: The County of LA hands out an 8 page medical questionnaire as part of the pre-employment process. They might say they are trying to protect themselves from bogus Workmen's Comp claims, but the ADA and HIPPA really don't do a whole lot for you when applying and competing for new employment. HR people are schooled to say "as long as you can carry out the tasks of your job". Illegal discrimination during hiring is nearly impossible to prove, and the whole point was to get a job, not file a complaint.

Real world makes some rights questionable. It's great to find gay people and POZ people, and tough females in hostile occupations, breaking down barriers. I've done it myself. But tread carefully, and seek advice, as you are wisely doing.

Can POZ in the US work anywhere we want? Sorta. Sort of like older applicants.

-megasept

[next2u]

oh mega,

thanks for keeping it real. why or why did i miss that ever so important point. i tell my ex-criminal friends to always lie on their job applications. its def a gray area for me. it seems like a catch 22 cause they served their time during their incarceration but now they can't find work. tisk tisk. beside, most of the jobs they are applying for don't do background checks. trying to turns ones life around can be a biatch.

back to the point. ill have to bring that up. omit, evade and misinform if necessary. you know (c'mon peanut gallery, i know y'all wanna jump all over this contradiction) i don't support or believe in lying in the vast majority of situations. the handful of exceptions i've personally lied in were either job related or school related. in my personal life i keep it legit. in my work life if i get caught slipping (no, i wont lie to get out of work or malinger) and my ass is on the line ill def fib. or if a comparable situation happens at school (which it hasn't) i'm not above it. i think ive fibbed at work twice in the last 10 years. and yeah, i felt kinda shitty afterwards.

but don't get it twisted, im all about my people being able to support themselves. and if they have to lie to prevent discrimination so be it. the world ain't always a just place and im sure most of us here can attest to that.

best,
d