Jack assures her that he won't disclose any specific medical information to Angela, but explains that as her direct supervisor, Angela will have to know that her schedule needs to be changed. The law places the burden on the HIV-positive person to prove discriminatory intent. This means that an employer can fire you with or without notice, and for any reason so long as it is not an illegal reason. So if Carmen had been slated for a layoff during her company's downsizing, disclosing her HIV status would not have saved her job. At this point in the HIV epidemic, most employers in New York do not fire or demote employees immediately upon discovering their HIV-positive status.
Discrimination is often much more subtle, and therefore more difficult to prove.
Richard works as an administrative assistant in the payroll office of a large company. Richard's performance has always been exemplary, and Brenda, his supervisor, has been discussing with Richard her interest in promoting him to Payroll Associate. He anticipates that he will receive the promotion after his next performance review, scheduled for October. Over the summer, Richard is diagnosed with PCP and remains hospitalized for ten days. When Richard gets home from the hospital, he calls Brenda and tells her that he has AIDS and will be missing a few weeks of work, on doctor's orders.