Monkey pox in the workplace: prevent the stigma of LGBTI people

With autumn in sight, employers are preparing for new corona infections in their ranks. But as of this year, they have a second concern: monkey pox.

Last summer, the World Health Organization officially designated this virus as a international threat to public health. Monkeypox is slowly but surely spreading around the world and infections continue to occur in the Netherlands as well. It is difficult to estimate exactly how many there are.

Monkey pox is a keeper

Anyone who suspected that they had contracted the coronavirus was of course tested for a definitive answer, but in monkey pox this necessity is felt less because of the clear symptoms: clearly visible pimples.

The low official infection rates are therefore not reliable and therefore no reason to think lightly about this virus.

Monkeypox is not nearly as deadly as corona, but it does cause very painful skin complaints that can last for several weeks. Moreover, the chance that the danger of monkeypox will disappear on its own is very small, because vaccines are becoming available at a slow pace and their effectiveness is still unclear. It is now expected that monkey pox will become a ‘stayer’.

Stigmatization in monkey pox

The vast majority of monkey pox cases are found in men who have sex with men (MSM). The presence of the virus in this group is reminiscent of the HIV pandemic of the 1980s.

HIV caused enormous stigmatization of MSM and the wider LGBTIQ+ community: it was seen as a gay disease about which the wildest myths circulated. There are countless stories of people living with HIV who have been fired or evicted.

The same stigma is lurking in monkey pox: the virus could potentially be seen as a sexually transmitted disease that only circulates among gay men.

Monkeypox in the workplace

The threat of stigmatization surrounding the monkeypox virus is particularly apparent in the workplace. In fact, people who have become infected find this the most difficult place to tell about their situation, according to recent scientific research.

There are two main reasons for this. Because the virus is so strongly associated with MSM, informing third parties about an infection can lead to a forced coming out.

But negative consequences are also possible for employees who are open about their sexual orientation. The stigma causes employees to be seen as untrustworthy and unprofessional. The infected person is automatically associated with sex parties, casual partners and lack of personal responsibility.

Long recovery period

In addition, the course of the disease can create complex situations. Unlike corona, you usually only recover from monkey pox after 21 days. During that long period it is difficult to continue working normally: after all, you suffer from visible pimples and pose an infection risk to others for a long time.

Physical appointments are impossible in any case, but video calls can also cause discomfort for the employee himself, colleagues and external contacts.

Organizations that value inclusivity and diversity should therefore consider the consequences and management of monkeypox in the workplace. A careful, empathetic approach can prevent harmful situations for employees and the entire organization. More and more organizations are paying attention to this among members of the Workplace Pride foundation, but our estimate is that this concerns a small minority.

Tips for monkey pox in the workplace

Do you work – as an HR professional or otherwise – for an organization and do you want to work on an approach that prevents stigmatization and protects privacy? Then take the advice below into account:

1. Ensure that your employee privacy is 100% guaranteed. They must be able to report in complete confidence that they have contracted monkey pox and assume that no one else will know. An important role is reserved for the company doctor, but also for the support staff.
2. Do not talk about an infection with monkey pox in the organization if an employee does not want it. In such a case, choose a more general name, such as a ‘severe infection requiring long treatment and recovery’.
3. Ensure a good reorganization of work tasks if working digitally – read: video calling – is not a good option.
4. After the infection, ensure good reintegration. Find the conversation with the employee, leave room for care and discuss the stigma. Also, don’t ignore the elephant in the room and check whether the employee is held accountable internally for his supposed sexual behavior.
5. Work closely with LGBTIQ+ groups within the organization and incorporate their vision into your policy.
6. Make a plan in case an involuntary coming out of an employee does occur. Think about questions such as: how do you stop gossip, how do you address colleagues who are not behaving professionally and how do you restore trust in the employee in the workplace?