On Friday, 24th of June, the U.S Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, effectively banning or restricting abortion in at least 13 states in the United States. It also struck down a 1992 case — Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which established the right to obtain an abortion up until 24 weeks of pregnancy.
In response to the ruling, many large and small organizations have announced their support for their employees seeking abortion services. Here are a few such companies and their policies, grouped according to their industry:
F&B
1. Starbucks
In response to the verdict, Starbucks announced that they will support their employees who need to undergo abortion or gender-confirmation procedures by paying for their travel expenses if those services aren't available within 100 miles of their residence. In Sara Kelly, Starbuck's acting executive VP's letter to the employees, she said, "Regardless of what the Supreme Court ends up deciding, we will always ensure our partners have access to quality health care."
2. Impossible Foods
Impossible Foods' CEO, Peter McGuinness, announced on LinkedIn that the company would cover travel, lodging, meals, and child care for employees who need to travel to get abortions out of state. "Supporting our colleagues in their reproductive health is absolutely the right thing to do," he said.
Retail
3. Kroger
Kroger, the American retail company known for its supermarkets, has over 300 stores in Ohio and Kentucky, where abortion is now banned or mostly banned. The company has announced that they provide every employee with a comprehensive benefits package that includes quality, affordable health care, and travel benefits of up to $4,000 to facilitate access to quality care for several categories of medical treatments and a full range of reproductive health care services, including abortion and fertility treatments.
4. DICK'S Sporting Goods
The President and CEO of DICK's Sporting Goods, Lauren Hobart, said in a LinkedIn post that the company would reimburse up to $4000 in travel costs so employees can access legal abortion services. This benefit can be availed by any teammate, spouse, or dependant enrolled in their medical plan, along with one support person.
5. CVS Health Corp
Healthcare company CVS has released a statement saying that all CVS Health employees residing in states that have implemented the ban will have access to out-of-state healthcare, including the option to undergo an abortion.
6. Amazon
Amazon, the second-largest private employer in the United States, has publicly said that it will pay up to $4000 per employee annually in travel expenses for non-life-threatening medical treatments, including abortions.
Technology
7. Apple
When asked about Apple's approach to Texas laws preventing people from getting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, the CEO, Tim Cook, said that the company's medical insurance will cover employees if they travel out of state to get an abortion.
8. Lyft
Lyft released a statement saying that its U.S medical benefits plan includes coverage for elective abortion and travel costs reimbursement if an employee must travel over 100 miles for an in-network provider. They also donated $1 million to Planned Parenthood and are partnering with them to pilot a Women's Transportation Access Program.
9. Yelp
With over 200 of Yelp's employees living in Texas, one of the states to enact the abortion ban, the company announced that it would cover all travel costs for its employees who want to seek an abortion in another state.
10. Indeed
Indeed, one of the largest career platforms released a statement saying, "Employees on Indeed's insurance will continue to be reimbursed for travel expenses for covered medical procedures unavailable where they live. Anything limiting women's freedom to make their own decisions about their health hurts them and society. Limiting access to safe and affordable health care will hit hardest in marginalized communities, especially people of color and those in lower-income brackets."
11. Zillow
Zillow, a tech real-estate marketplace, updated its health policy on June 1st, ahead of the Roe v. Wade verdict, to include reimbursement of up to $7,500 for employees that need to travel out of the state to access medical procedures, reproductive services, and gender-affirming care. The company also said, "We strongly support our employees’ right to make health care choices that are right for them, and we will continue to do so."
12. Salesforce
When Texas announced its anti-abortion law late last year, Salesforce told their employees over a Slack message that if they and their families are concerned about the access to reproductive care in Texas, the company will help them relocate to a different state. The CEO, Marc Benioff, also tweeted, "Ohana, if you want to move, we'll help you exit TX. Your choice." Ohana is a Hawaiian term that means family.
13. Reddit
According to a Reddit spokesperson, reproductive health services have already been covered by the company's health plans. Employees can use their yearly stipend benefit to cover travel costs if they need to go to a different state for an abortion. Reddit also provides unlimited paid time off in such cases.
14. Buzzfeed
The CEO of Buzzfeed, Jonah Peretti, wrote an email to the employees after the verdict saying, "The decision is so regressive and horrific for women that it compels us to step up as a company to ensure that any of our employees who are impacted have funding and access to safe abortions as needed." Buzzfeed will be providing employees who want to travel out of state to access legal abortion services a travel stipend.
15. HP
HP's CEO, Enrique Lores, made the company's stand on the verdict clear by tweeting, "We believe that it should be up to every single one of our employees to decide whether and when to start a family, whether that's choosing who they love and marry, taking paid time off if they are having a child, and having access to healthcare." The company also announced that it would continue supporting employees needing out-of-state reproductive care by covering travel-related expenses.
16. Google
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Google announced that their employees can relocate to states where their rights are protected, with no justification needed. Google's health insurance will also cover the cost of out-of-state abortion procedures for employees who travel across state lines to seek medical care.
17. Intuit
Intuit released a statement saying, "We will cover employee travel expenses to get abortions. We support our employees’ access to comprehensive health care — no matter where they live."
Consumer
18. Benefit Cosmetics
Benefit Cosmetics, a San-Francisco-based makeup brand, released a statement saying, "While the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade erases much of the United States’ progress in the last 50 years, our commitment to women’s rights, and women’s access to wellness, remains stronger than ever." They also said they would cover travel expenses for any employee who needs access to safe healthcare options.
19. Johnson & Johnson
After the verdict was announced, a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical giant released a statement saying that the company will provide reimbursement for U.S employees who need to travel for any medical services or procedures not available within 100 miles of their home, including reproductive healthcare.
20. Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss, the denim brand, announced that they would reimburse employees who travel out of state to get an abortion. The company also posted a blog expressing its strong opinions about the verdict. They were quoted saying, "Protection of reproductive rights is a critical business issue impacting our workforce, our economy, and progress toward gender and racial equity. Given what is at stake, business leaders need to make their voices heard and act to protect the health and well-being of our employees."
21. Sephora
Sephora, a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products, wrote a LinkedIn post about their response to the verdict. They said, "In a company where more than 80% of our workforce are female-identifying, we have a responsibility to protect the well-being and health of all employees, especially when our employees face serious public health consequences should the Court undo fifty years of progress and precedent." They also added, "Our vision is that by October 1st, our soonest upcoming benefits cycle, if you live in a state that decides to restrict access to reproductive healthcare, Sephora will support travel costs to a state where you can safely receive treatment."
22. Procter & Gamble
Following the verdict, P&G told its employees that starting from January, its healthcare plans will cover travel support for medical care not available close to home. They released a statement that said, "P&G supports our employees in having access to a wide range of health care options — including reproductive care — so they can determine what’s best for them and their families."
Media
23. Disney
Disney released a statement that said, "We have communicated directly with our employees today that we recognize the impact of the ruling and that we remain committed to providing comprehensive access to quality and affordable care for all of our employees, cast members, and their families, including family planning and reproductive care, no matter where they live." In light of this, employees can travel to another state to get an abortion, and Disney will cover the expenses.
24. Netflix
In response to the verdict, Netflix said they already offer travel reimbursement coverage for full-time U.S employees and their dependents who have to visit a different state or country for cancer treatment, transplants, gender-affirming care, or abortion. This is a $10,000 lifetime allowance per employee and their dependents per service.
25.Conde Nast
In response to the Roe v. Wade verdict, Conde Nast's CEO, Roger Lynch, sent a company-wide email that said, "The most powerful way for us to respond to what’s happening right now is through our brands and the distinctive editorial lenses with which they’re covering today’s news and the effect it will have on society." The company also made modifications to its U.S health benefits policy to assist covered employees and their dependents in obtaining access to reproductive care, abortion, gender-affirming services, and infertility treatments, irrespective of where they reside.
26. Paramount Global
The Chief People Officer of Paramount Global, Nancy Phillips, released a statement confirming that the company will support reproductive healthcare through company-sponsored health insurance, including coverage for birth control, elective abortion care, miscarriage care, and travel-related expenses if any health service is prohibited in a particular state.
BFSI
27. Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sach's Global Head of Human Capital Management released a statement that said, "We have extended our healthcare travel reimbursement policies to include all medical procedures, treatments, and evaluations, including abortion services and gender-affirming care where a provider is not available in proximity to where our people live."
28. Mastercard
Mastercard issued a memo to their staff that said they would pay for employees to travel to access abortions if pregnancy termination isn't available in their home state. This policy also extends to other services like fertility treatments, surrogacy, adoption services, and pregnancy prevention surgeries like a vasectomy.
29. JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase, the country's largest bank with over 170,000 U.S employees, said that beginning in July, they would cover all travel costs for employees that need to go more than 50 miles to receive certain medical procedures, including abortions and cryopreservation.
30. Bank of America
Bank of America announced that they have expanded the list of medical treatments eligible for travel expense reimbursement. The list now includes cancer treatment, organ transplants at centers of excellence, reproductive health care including abortion, and hospital admissions for mental health conditions.
We'll keep updating this list, so please check back for updates. If you'd like to add your organization to the list, please let us know what your company's response has been to the verdict here.
