Global Times: Bank accused of discriminating against hepatitis B carriers - China

[Guest guest]

Global Times: Bank accused of discriminating against hepatitis B carriers

<http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-12/607877.html>

By Pang Qi

A Beijing-based anti-discrimination institution accused the Xiamen Bank

Thursday of forcing candidates applying for a job to take a hepatitis B test,

in violation of the rules concerning discrimination against hepatitis B

carriers.

Xiamen Bank has stated regarding its recruitment of 2011 graduates that

successful candidates would be required to submit various certificates,

including a health report stating the result of a liver function test.

Any candidate who did not provide these certificates would be considered to

have declined a job offer.

The executive director of the anti-discrimination institution Yi Renping

Center, Lu Jun, wrote a report which he sent to the Xiamen Labor and Social

Security Bureau, asking the bureau to take action against the bank.

China's Ministry of Education, Ministry of Human Resources and Social

Security, and Ministry of Health jointly released a statement in February

regarding the protection of the rights of hepatitis B carriers, specifying

that employers and institutions cannot force candidates to take a test to

detect hepatitis B. Lu said that Xiamen Bank has not obeyed the rules.

" The current regulations prohibit employers from requiring the hepatitis B

test, but our candidates have to go and do it themselves " , an official at

Xiamen Bank's human resources department told one candidate.

According to a Nan Fang Daily report on Tuesday, discrimination against

hepatitis B carriers applying for employment is widespread at many companies

in Guangdong Province. Some employers try to avoid the rules by requesting

that candidates invited for an interview should bring along their health test

certificates, so that applicants cannot say for sure that they were rejected

due to concerns about their health.

Some hospitals and clinics allegedly agree to forward test result to

prospective employers, without the approval of candidates.

Nan Fang Daily said that employers refuse to hire hepatitis B carriers as they

aim to reduce their medical expenses.

But Lu told the Global Times that it is not worthwhile for a company to try

and save costs in this manner, as they end up spending so much time and energy

creating an efficient relationship with the medical institutions, and there is

also a moral cost.

Lu also said that some medical institutions visit companies in order to

promote their health test deals, which usually include the hepatitis B test,

in order to increase their profits.

" Most companies do not really know what health standards should be used when

hiring new staff, and they tend to believe hospitals and health institutions,

so, when they tell the companies to include the hepatitis B test, companies

just follow their advice, " said Lu.

Yu Fangqiang, general coordinator of Yi Renping Center, said that the key to

tackling the problem is that local governments should address employment

discrimination, and that they must implement the policies issued by the

central government.

Lu said that the government's policies are much more effective and financially

viable than hiring celebrities to take part in advertisements.

And Lu added that NGOs should also be involved in monitoring discrimination

issues.

But he said there has been a drop in the number of complaints about employers

discriminating against hepatitis B carriers after the government issued the

regulation in February. " We have completely eliminated such a phenomenon in

public servant enrollment " , he said.

[Guest guest]

Global Times: Bank accused of discriminating against hepatitis B carriers

<http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-12/607877.html>

By Pang Qi

A Beijing-based anti-discrimination institution accused the Xiamen Bank

Thursday of forcing candidates applying for a job to take a hepatitis B test,

in violation of the rules concerning discrimination against hepatitis B

carriers.

Xiamen Bank has stated regarding its recruitment of 2011 graduates that

successful candidates would be required to submit various certificates,

including a health report stating the result of a liver function test.

Any candidate who did not provide these certificates would be considered to

have declined a job offer.

The executive director of the anti-discrimination institution Yi Renping

Center, Lu Jun, wrote a report which he sent to the Xiamen Labor and Social

Security Bureau, asking the bureau to take action against the bank.

China's Ministry of Education, Ministry of Human Resources and Social

Security, and Ministry of Health jointly released a statement in February

regarding the protection of the rights of hepatitis B carriers, specifying

that employers and institutions cannot force candidates to take a test to

detect hepatitis B. Lu said that Xiamen Bank has not obeyed the rules.

" The current regulations prohibit employers from requiring the hepatitis B

test, but our candidates have to go and do it themselves " , an official at

Xiamen Bank's human resources department told one candidate.

According to a Nan Fang Daily report on Tuesday, discrimination against

hepatitis B carriers applying for employment is widespread at many companies

in Guangdong Province. Some employers try to avoid the rules by requesting

that candidates invited for an interview should bring along their health test

certificates, so that applicants cannot say for sure that they were rejected

due to concerns about their health.

Some hospitals and clinics allegedly agree to forward test result to

prospective employers, without the approval of candidates.

Nan Fang Daily said that employers refuse to hire hepatitis B carriers as they

aim to reduce their medical expenses.

But Lu told the Global Times that it is not worthwhile for a company to try

and save costs in this manner, as they end up spending so much time and energy

creating an efficient relationship with the medical institutions, and there is

also a moral cost.

Lu also said that some medical institutions visit companies in order to

promote their health test deals, which usually include the hepatitis B test,

in order to increase their profits.

" Most companies do not really know what health standards should be used when

hiring new staff, and they tend to believe hospitals and health institutions,

so, when they tell the companies to include the hepatitis B test, companies

just follow their advice, " said Lu.

Yu Fangqiang, general coordinator of Yi Renping Center, said that the key to

tackling the problem is that local governments should address employment

discrimination, and that they must implement the policies issued by the

central government.

Lu said that the government's policies are much more effective and financially

viable than hiring celebrities to take part in advertisements.

And Lu added that NGOs should also be involved in monitoring discrimination

issues.

But he said there has been a drop in the number of complaints about employers

discriminating against hepatitis B carriers after the government issued the

regulation in February. " We have completely eliminated such a phenomenon in

public servant enrollment " , he said.