Training Prevention Programs in the Workplace

Partners: PepsiCo, International Labor Organization
Location: India
Objective: Strengthen workforce by increasing awareness and educating employees about HIV/AIDS

PepsiCo India partnered through the U.S. Government and the International Labor Organization (ILO) to create an HIV prevention program for their employees in all 39 locations in India, covering a total workforce of 5464, including 1398 contractual workers. Senior management at PepsiCo India believed the program was important not only from a corporate social responsibility perspective, but also because it was essential to retaining a healthy workforce, maintaining productivity, and minimizing turnover and training costs. "Our HIV/AIDS response is not about philanthropy," said Pavan Phatia, Vice President of Human Resources. "It is as much about our responsibility as it is about our survival. So, it is a basic HR function now."

With technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor, PepsiCo India launched its workplace policy in India, conducted an HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Behavior survey among employees and trained 60 employees, called "Master Trainers," to address HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Trainers in four regions received a Master Trainer/Peer Educator Manual, the PepsiCo HIV/AIDS Policy, a card game, key presentation materials, posters, and red ribbons which they will use to educate employees about HIV/AIDS. The Master Trainers have held a series of awareness programs to educate fellow employees, and have enlisted more than 350 volunteers within the company to spread HIV prevention messages to their peers. The program is now being developed to reach spouses of workers, workers in the PepsiCo supply chains, and to set up effective links with antiretroviral treatment centers.