Bolsterous students are a real challenge for the teacher in Skeena Theatre Arts’ production of Up the Down Staricase presented at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre June 10 and 11. See page 21 for story. AlIDSinthe workplace — Health Ministry issues policy advice The media, schools, and public health officials have recognized the importance of disseminating information on AIDS, particularly stressing fac- ~ tual advice on how to avoid con- tracting the fatal virus. But about 5,000 to 8,000 British Col- umbians have already tested positively for the disease, and live and work among us. A per- son can be infected with the AIDS virus but suffer no symp- toms or illnesses related to the disease for six months to ten years or more. How will the community deal with this fact? AIDS in the workplace can be a difficult subject to tackle, especially if consumers and. workers still fear contamination, or if employers hope the prob- lem will just go away. A new booklet, prepared by the B.C. Ministry of Health, helps to dispel such fears and en- courages employers to take real- istic steps to handle rumoured or actual cases of AIDS. The booklet, ‘AIDS information for the workplace” is designed to assist senior managers develop company policies and employee education materials, but Skeena medical health officer Dr. David Bowering said he hasn’t exactly been overwhelmed with requests for the information by local bus- inesses. “My fear is that they’re waiting for a problem to devel- op. My hope is that they’ll start thinking about it before it hap- _ pens,”’ he said. The booklet urges companies to develop policies and educa- tional materials employee is diagnosed or iden- tified as HIV positive or as hav- ing AIDS. The problems that can occur when this is not done, when the employer chooses to wait until it is too late to act ina - preventative manner, are de- scribed in a hypothetical case study. _ The case study details how John, a conscientious employee of eight years within a light in- dustrial company, reveals to his manager Robert D. that he has tested positive for AIDS. Shock- -ed and sympathetic, Robert tries before any. to be optimistic and supportive, but is unsure what to do. He brings the matter to the atten- tion of his immediate supervisor as well as expressing his anxiety about the situation to a fellow manager. The scenario continues with rumors circulating among both company employees and cus- tomers. Workers become very fearful and demand protection from John, It is quickly decided to reassign John to a job that would eliminate personal con- tact with other employees or customers. Recovered from his initial depression, John now initiates a formal grievance procedure about his sudden demotion, and the company finds that its ac- ‘tions are indefensible. After considerable time and expense, . workplace disruption, and little time and energy devoted to run- ning the business, the company reinstates John in his original position and a comprehensive educational program is quickly put in to place to allay fears among employees. “The com- pany had paid a heavy price for failing to deal preventatively with the issue of AIDS in the workplace,” the hypothetical story ends. But AIDS will not represent a threat for the company that is prepared, the publication con- tinues in its policy development section. As the AIDS virus con- tinues to affect our population, and as the infection is no longer confined exclusively to those in “high-risk” groups, the ques- tion the employer needs to ask is not ‘Will one of my employees be affected?’’ but rather ‘““When will it happen, and what impact will it have on my business?’’ - The booklet outlines the aspects of policy development including medical testing, em- ployee disability, workplace risks, grievance and discliplinary procedures, edcuation and re- sources. The purposes of developing a company policy on AIDS will likely include reducing fear and disruption among employees, maintaining stability and pro- ductivity, discouraging discrim- ination and prejuidice among employees, and avoiding in- curring liablity. Such a policy could also encourage anyone with AIDS to report it and help to curb the spread of the virus. Such policy development can enhance the company’s profile as a socially responsible cor- poration, both among employ- ees and among members of the public at large. Initiating an AIDS awareness/education campaign for employees is undoubtedly the single most important step a company can take to protect itself from the potential negative consequences of the AIDS epi- demic, the publication says. This education could circulate facts about: the disease as well as continued on page 20- Terrace Review — Wednesday, June 15, 1988 19 Mary-Claude Boyce and Betty Barton will leave Terrace this week for 11 months with Canada World Youth. Canada World Youth is a non-formal development education program for young Canadians between the ages of 17 and 21. The pro- gram takes place for three to four months each in Canada and one of 17 Third World coun- tries. During, the exchange, groups of 14 (seven Canadians and seven. Third World par- ticipants) live with billeting families, work as volunteers in the community and generally learn about development from a practical point of view. Mary-Claude and Betty will be working as group leaders, each with a group of 14 par- ticipants. The project sites will be in Hope, Oliver and Sum- merland for the Canadian por- tion of the program. The ex- change portion will take place in small villages in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. As group leaders, they will be responsible for fin- ding billeting families, organiz- ing work projects and finding employers willing to oversee two participants each (one Cana- dian, one Indonesian at each work place) in volunteer jobs at their places of business. The main job of the group leader is to. facilitate learning by the participants and by the host community members of the benefits and drawbacks of development in both Canada and a Third World country, and to encourage understanding of one another’s culture and customs. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) partially funds Canada World Interested In helping the Scouts or Girl Guides, or the community? Short on time, but still Interested? The B.P. Guild will help you help, without necessarily filling your . calendar. If you don't have the time to become a Scouting leader, you can still help Scouts through the Gulld, or if you wished you had gone inte Scouting, the Guild can get you helping with Scouting events, For more information, contact Finn Larsen at 638-1377. _I FRIDAY: Regular Games DOORS OPEN AT 4:36 P.M. 'Terrace’s Bingo Place Lucky Dollar Bingo Palace 4818 Hwy. 16 West SUNDAY: Terrace Athletics Assn. - MONDAY: Terrace Minor Hockey _ UESDAY: Kermodes or Jaycees ieee ce | WEDNESDAY: Terrace Blueback Swim Club se THURSDAY: 747 Air Cadets Pa Ladies of the Royal Purple Parapelegic Assn. SATURDAY: Parapelegic Foundation | EVERYONE WELCOME! (Age 14 years and up) Thank you! Have a Nice day! CanadaWorld Youth posts local women to South Pacific Youth projects. The remainder of its funding comes from private and corporate dona- tions. Mary-Claude and Betty recently attended a CIDA brief- ing in Ottawa. The purpose of the briefing was to orient new and returning CIDA and Canada World Youth employees to their new environments in Southeast Asia. The recently established briefing procedure has reduced attrition from 50 percent to five percent on CIDA projects overseas. The orenta- tion included information on adapting to the host country, the most effective means of com- munication to deal with work situations in the host country, and an awareness and apprecia- tion of the host country geography, people, culture and living conditions, including health. Mary-Claude is joining Canada World Youth for the first time. She has been working in Kiti-K’shan school’s French Immersion program as a French monitor for the past year. She comes to Canada World Youth with a wealth of overseas ex- perience in addition to her educational qualifications. ‘Mary-Claude is a university- trained forester. Betty will be returning to Canada World Youth as a group leader for the third time. This will be her fourth time in In- donesia. Her original involve- ment with Canada World Youth was as a billeting family for both the India and Indonesia ex- changes. Those programs were conducted in Terrace in 1982/83 and 1983/84. In 1984, she visited -her participants at their project site in Central Kalimantan, Borneo in Indonesia. Betty has been a freelance photojournalist and while in Indonesia she plans to continue writing articles and taking .photos to send back to the readers in Terrace. Sampai jumpa lagi (until we meet again in Bahasa Indone- sian), Betty. Extra Games