Ireland - Organic farm must pay €8,000 after HIV status discrimination.

[Jim Allen]

So a US Citizen travelled to Ireland to work/get training on an organic farm, first few days all was fine but after the US Citizen shared his HIV status he was refused access to showers and asked to leave. 

The organic farm was found to be in breach of the equality act and ordered to pay 8000 euro (9,034 USD).

In the news:
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40764276.html

WCR judgment:
https://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/cases/2021/november/adj-00025701.html

CA-00032526-001: I find that the Respondent had engaged in prohibited conduct in discriminating against the Complainant on the grounds of disability and treated him  less favourably in the provision of services under Section 3 and the in the cessation of the provision of accommodation under Section 6(1) of the Equal Status Acts, 200-2015.

The aggravating factors in this case demand that the redress be on the higher end of the scale therefore I direct the Respondent to make compensation of €8,000 for the effects of the prohibited conduct, having regard to the principle of proportionality and that the award should be dissuasive.

[daveR]

Hard to believe this still goes on after 40 years of the pandemic. I was chatting a few days ago with an American guy eating lunch at a local café. Telling me how he gave his sick friend a ride on his motorbike to a hospital. The blood test came back HIV+. He went home, through away the crash hat and washed his motorbike with disinfectant. I asked why as I didn't think HIV is caught from crash hats. He got flustered and blurted out would you wear it after him. Didn't tell him I was positive, he would probably have burnt the café to the ground.
His friend hung himself, can't help thinking that was lack of support, only five years ago.

[Jim Allen]

Hard to believe this still goes on after 40 years of the pandemic. I was chatting a few days ago with an American guy eating lunch at a local café. Telling me how he gave his sick friend a ride on his motorbike to a hospital. The blood test came back HIV+. He went home, through away the crash hat and washed his motorbike with disinfectant. I asked why as I didn't think HIV is caught from crash hats. He got flustered and blurted out would you wear it after him. Didn't tell him I was positive, he would probably have burnt the café to the ground.
His friend hung himself, can't help thinking that was lack of support, only five years ago.

Yeah, this kind of stigma & treatment by other can have terrible outcomes.

Would like to say it's rarely happens in Ireland but experienced two issues myself last year alone. I do think that companies & healthcare providers are getting less obvious about treating plhiv less as they know it's wrong and they can get it trouble, but it still happens though.