This study contributes by complementing prior literature that has examined the antecedents and consequences of workplace disclosure by people with concealable disabilities, albeit in a unique context. We investigate an interesting and under researched topic of stigma identity management adopted by PLHIV/A (People living with HIV AIDS) working in the informal sector in an emerging country, India. We highlight how the nuances of the precarious informal sector employment and associated socio-cultural factors influence the strategies adopted by such employees, compelled to operate in the workplace, putting on, what we term a ‘Janus Face’. Notably, we observe that the employees make efforts to perform better than their colleagues (hyper-performance) and try to enhance their social and moral positioning in the workplace. Further, our findings reveal that they adopted a healthy lifestyle driven by their need to maintain job continuity. Overall, we thus contribute to the stigma identity management literature by detailing concealment strategies due to the fear of stigmatization, adopted by PLHIV/A employees, particularly in the informal sector. We highlight how each disability results in nuanced challenges, specific to the workplace characteristics and socio-cultural contexts. Theoretically, we discuss implications for stigma identity management and draw practical implications for managing concealable disabilities in the informal sector.
