After a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion suggested an imminent overturning of the landmark Roe v Wade abortion case, a slew of US companies have started to announce policies to provide abortion access to their employees
Pro-choice activists protest during a rally in front of the US Supreme Court in response to the leaked draft decision to overturn Roe vs Wade. AFP
After a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion suggested an imminent overturning of the landmark abortion case Roe v Wade, a slew of US companies have started to announce policies to provide abortion access to their employees.
A decision to overrule the 1973 Supreme Court order would lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states and could have huge ramifications for this year’s elections. But it’s unclear if the draft represents the court’s final word on the matter — opinions often change in ways big and small in the drafting process.
What is the Roe v Wade case?
Sometimes referred to as “Roe”, the case was filed by 22-year-old Norma McCorvey, known by the legal pseudonym “Jane Roe”. Henry Wade was the defendant, the Dallas County (Texas) district attorney at the time.
It was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court in which the court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restrictions.
The decision struck down many US federal and state abortion laws.
The ruling said that abortion would be allowed up to the point of foetal viability, the time after which a foetus can survive outside the womb.
How corporate US has reacted to the possible overturning of Roe v Wade
The news of the leaked draft opinion caught corporate America off-guard, as corporate officials grappled with the realisation that the slew of state abortion laws were simply dress rehearsals for a bigger nationwide policy shift, The Washington Post reported.
Also read: What’s next in the investigation of the US Supreme Court leak?
According to The Guardian, Citigroup, one of the biggest banks in the US, quietly started covering the travel expenses of employees who want to get an abortion but are banned from getting one in their home state.
The benefit was not announced publicly, but mentioned in a March filing for shareholders.
The bank has already started facing Republican anger as its leaders asked House and Senate administrators to cancel its contract with the company, which issues credit cards to lawmakers to use for work-related flights, office supplies and other goods.
Citigroup isn’t the only company to come out in support of its employees as Amazon, Apple, Yelp, Match Group, Tesla, and Levi Strauss & Company have also announced measures, including offering travel assistance to employees in states that restrict abortions.
“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. That means protecting reproductive rights,” Levi Strauss & Co. said in a statement.
While Apple has offered to cover medical expenses for workers in Texas who have to travel out of state to seek abortions, Salesforce has offered to relocate workers from the state.
Amazon also announced that it would cover $4,000 in travel costs for U.S. workers seeking medical care, including elective abortion and transgender surgery.
The Washington Post said that Uber and Lyft too have announced to help workers with legal expenses who are facing penalties for helping people access abortion.
As per a Bloomberg report, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have also been considering similar policies.
However, several major companies have stayed silent on the matter, including Walmart, Disney and American Airlines, according to a report by CNBC.
With inputs from agencies
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