HIV and Call Centers

Let me give you my two cents worth regarding the HIV in the Call Center Industry.

As you might have surmised based on my opening statement, I work in a call center. A big one at that. I have been with the company since it's started operations here in the Philippines. As a brief background, I started as an call-taker, an agent for those who are not familiar with the call center lingo. Let's just say that I handle more complex situations today.

Anyway. Forgive me if I feel really, really bad about the unfair portrayal of the people that works for the call center industry. Based on the reports, it makes us look as if we go on wild orgies and have sex like dogs when we can. They even gave numbers out based on their "study".

In defense to this, I am writing my personal dispute of this allegations, blow by blow:

1. Call Center workers have higher risks of acquiring HIV because of the work schedule. Huh? I don't get this. Yes, we work at nights, and I was thinking that since our lives mostly happen in the morning, we don't really get much time to socialize and look for sex, right? I must admit though that the proximity with each other and the fact that our schedules keep us from having a "regular" social life increases the possibility of hooking up with another call center employee, it doesn't mean that we all go around actively seeking partners at work. Besides, we don't have the monopoly of that. It happens in all industries.

2. The younger demographics are more open about their sexuality. I would agree to this. The average age of the call center employees are 21-25 years old. Most of the agents are fresh graduates that are just hungry and excited to be part of the work and most of then really would not take the job seriously unless they really need it. But to imply that one of the reasons why there is an increase in cases of HIV in call centers is because of the age is unfair. I mean, across the board, if you look into statistics not just here in the Philippines, the same age group that I mentioned above also leads in the number of newly-identified HIV positive patients.

3. We don't spend much time with our families hence the increase in the cases of HIV. This is just infuriating for me. This statement just implies that just because we are employed by call centers, we don't have values anymore. On the contrary, working for an American company actually instilled so much of my work ethics compared to the time that I have worked for a huge Pinoy owned retail company.

I know a lot of people, parents, sons and daughters that tries their darnest to establish a sense of normalcy in their lives considering our work schedules. Even to the point of not sleeping for 24-hours straight because they need to attend a PTA meeting. This is just a testimony of what kind of people works for this industry.

In closing, I just want to say that whatever that "study" was implying, it is unfair to those who are working in call centers. We are not sex starved maniacs like how it is being portrayed. We are human, therefore, we have needs, just like everyone else. Problem is, we are highlighted because of our small population yet huge economic impact. And that is just sad considering how many families are being feed and kids sent to school by the same industry that they are mocking. Crab mentality at it's finest. Really.