These US companies will cover travel costs for employees who need an abortion

[groundloop]

Source: CNN

After the Supreme Court ruled on Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade, corporate giants from a range of industries pledged to provide support and financial assistance for employees — and, in some cases, their dependents — seeking abortions in states that outlaw the procedure.

The court's decision to roll back the nearly 50-year-old landmark ruling, which protected the federal, constitutional right to an abortion, is expected to transform the landscape of reproductive health in America, leaving abortion policy up to individual states and paving the way for numerous states to pass new abortion restrictions. As of Friday afternoon, state officials in at least seven states said that new abortion bans can now be enforced.

Millions of people seeking abortions could soon be forced to travel across state lines to access the procedure, adding to the cost of an already often expensive healthcare service. For many, employers' benefit packages may be the only way they can afford an abortion.

In response, corporations, some with headquarters or offices in Republican-controlled states, are taking action. Companies such as Citigroup (C), Salesforce (CRM) and Match Group (MTCH) first promised financial support to employees seeking abortions in affected states after a draft version of the opinion leaked in May. Many more followed suit on Friday. Some, including Bumble and Lyft, also previously said they would donate to organizations that support women's rights, such as Planned Parenthood and Fund Texas Choice.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/24/tech/companies-abortion-reaction/index.html

---

Here's a compilation of companies from the article:

Microsoft
Apple
Meta
Yelp
Disney
Uber
Netflix
Bumble
Match Group
Box.com
Levi Strauss
Comcast-NBC Universal
Warner Bros Discovery
Condé Nast
JPMorgan Chase
Nike
Starbucks
Dick's Sporting Goods
Kroger
Alaska Airlines
Goldman Sachs
Zillow

[JohnSJ]

1. +++

[50 Shades Of Blue]

2. How are women supposed to find doctors in states they're unfamiliar with?

How are they supposed to explain their absence from work if they can find a doctor and line up a hotel? How will they apply for these travel funds, what will the cap be on the funds, and how will their privacy at work be protected when they do apply? Those are just some of the questions that spring to my mind.

FUCK these companies - this is just a PR exercise. They moved to red states because it cost them less to operate there. They didn't and don't give a SHIT about employees. They are just doing damage control now. They will not get any thumb's up from me until they add some very explicit details about how their offers will actually work AND put them to the test!

[groundloop]

5. Not all of those companies listed are based in red states ....

but by being a large corporation they happen to have facilities in red states as well as blue states.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

6. My questions still stand. For now it's just vague PR.

[GB_RN]

10. Planned Parenthood Has Clinics All Over.

The message will get out about how to find clinics like PP and others in blue states.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

15. There will be many more women needing appts from many fewer clinics.

And good luck to all the woman who already have children or other family responsibilities at home with inadequate backup that will make traveling for as long as an out-of-state abortion could take all but impossible for them.

Are these companies going to arrange child care or elder care for them during that time? I doubt it. So announcing they will cover "travel expenses" is not the panacea these companies seem to think.It's a very limited offer. It makes for good PR for them though.

[GB_RN]

17. No, It's Not A Perfect Solution...

For every situation that will arise. But at least they are responding! They could have done NOTHING.

[lark]

22. None of this is that hard unless the states really go all out in prosecuting women.

1 - We did this before Roe V Wade here, had an underground railroad kind of thing going. It worked for 7 young women ages 17-21 to get their needed abortions without involving their religious families.
2 - Planned Parenthood in NYC is where we'd make appointments. One of the 7 ended us in the hospital for 24 hours, but me and her friends covered for her successfully and missing one day of college was ok.
3 - All the rest of us flew out early in the am, had early appointments, flew back later in the afternoon or evening - hospitalization is only needed for extreme circumstances like an unknown already dead fetus.
4- Money was the biggest hassle, none of us had enough. So we'd pool our money to make up the shortfall so the plane and taxi and PP fees were covered and afterwards we'd be paid back.
5 - If they didn't have a boyfriend that they wanted to take them to the airport, we did this and picked them up.

[groundloop]

3. I really have my doubts that they'll be able to keep their employees information anonymous

For those companies based in a wingnut state I can envision an overzealous prosecutor getting subpoenas to learn the identities of employees who have used this benefit and subsequently prosecuting those people under soon to be enacted state laws criminalizing travel to seek an abortion. And with the current slate of justices on the US Supreme Court that type of intrusive law will most certainly be upheld.

[NCjack]

14. The RW has shown how jury nullification works. All it takes is one juror voting "not guilty."

[VGNonly]

4. + Pantagonia

Yvon Chouinard operates a fine company. He walks the walk!

[ancianita]

7. + Reddit, Yelp, Airbnb, Lyft, Buzzfeed, Paypal, DoorDash, Hewlett Packard, Salesforce, Paramount,

Tesla

[Brother Buzz]

8. Patagonia migh be smiling they didn't make the list, but they are doing it...AND MORE!!!

Patagonia To Pay Bail for Employees Arrested in Abortion Protests

The apparel manufacturer also joins a growing number of companies that have pledged to cover costs for employees who must now travel across state lines for abortion care

JUNE 24, 2022
FREDERICK DREIER

Outdoor apparel brand Patagonia has pledged to support employees who plan to protest today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the constitutional right to abortion care.

Earlier today, Patagonia said it would pay bail for any full- or part-time workers who “peacefully protest for reproductive justice.” The brand published the news on LinkedIn.

Company spokesperson J.J. Huggins told Axios that the company has had the bail policy in place “for many years.”

“The company will post bail for an employee who has previously taken a nonviolent civil-disobedience class and is subsequently arrested while peacefully protesting,” he said.

The Supreme Court overturned the 50-year-old abortion precedent in a six-three decision on Friday. The 1973 landmark case, Roe v. Wade, established the constitutional right for women to seek abortion in all 50 states. The controversial ruling gives individual states the power to establish their own abortion laws. Current predictions peg half of all states to outlaw or severely restrict abortion as a result of the court’s decision, which would cut off millions of women from reproductive health care.

In its release, Patagonia also pledged to pay for airfare, lodging, and meal expenses for staff on its health care plan who need to travel to a different state to undergo abortion procedures. Its health care plan already covers the cost of abortion care, the company said.

“Caring for employees extends beyond basic health insurance, so we take a more holistic approach to coverage and support overall wellness to which every human has a right,” the company said in a statement. “That means offering employees the dignity of access to reproductive health care. It means supporting employees’ choices around if or when they have a child. It means giving parents the resources they need to work and raise children.”

https://www.outsidebusinessjournal.com/issues/patagonia-will-pay-bail-for-employees-arrested-in-abortion-protests/

[malthaussen]

9. And when States begin to criminalize abortion, the problems begin.

We are set for a Constitutional and jurisdictional crisis that will put the Fugitive Slave Laws to shame. Better brush up on your Dred Scott: "A pregnant woman has no rights this nation is bound to respect."

Actually, I guess we can strike that "pregnant," sooner or later.

-- Mal

[fantase56]

11. Where's Amazon???

Is Jeff Bezos too busy flying his rocket propelled penis?

[Skittles]

20. and the other airlines

indeed

[Lulu Latech]

12. And how will those companies protect those records of travel

I am at the height of paranoia but records like that could be subpoenaed if a crazy DA and judge goes after evidence of crime. I'm not a lawyer but I would really be nervous about releasing that kind of info to an employer.

[ancianita]

16. Exactly.

Workers can count on employers to give the appearance of help until the legal chips are down, in which case the worker will be the first to fall.

Workers not suing for the breaking of an implied contract and benefit was probably a condition of their being hiring in the first place.

For all we know, this is corporate PR.

[tinrobot]

18. Perhaps, but Federal HIPPA laws should still apply.

An employee's medical records would still be considered confidential. I'm sure some states will challenge that, but it is currently a protection.

[Skittles]

21. it is HIPAA

FYI

[Lulu Latech]

23. Hippa will not protect you....

Here's a good breakdown of why not. https://www.statnews.com/2022/06/24/hipaa-wont-protect-you-if-prosecutors-want-your-reproductive-health-records/?fbclid=IwAR0aMgR_BpYdm5liczVSOwnOtLCVJMZyhegBAc-2eXrKJtW4ZjOpP1qZoW0

[Lulu Latech]

24. They wouldn't be requesting medical records from an employer

They would go on a fishing trip through the travel reimbursement records of an employer of someone they suspect traveled for abortion to prop up the case against them. They would probably get a few more of these "criminals" that they didn't know about...so it's a bonus

[SammyBrown]

13. Relocation

As previously stated in another thread, these companies should offer to relocate the employees to blue states and then shut down the offices in the red states.

[tinrobot]

19. The more that happens, the redder the red states will get.

And even the tiny states get the same number of senators as New York or California, so expect an even bigger imbalance.

[txwhitedove]

25. Yay, love my Kroger!

[pfitz59]

27. Elaine Chao (Mrs Mitch McConnell) sits on the Kroger Board

I buy food at Kroger, but hate their Board

[pfitz59]

26. How many of these companies support GOP politicians?

Until we answer that question, I'll reserve praise.

[FakeNoose]

28. They should stop giving money to Repuke candidates - any Repuke candidate

This is fine that they are doing it for their own employees, but it doesn't affect 99.9% of us. Repukes getting elected to the House, Senate and White House DOES affect us - ALL of us!

US corporations and billionaires must stop supporting Repukes and their Gilead Party.

That is all.

[Dysfunctional]

29. Maybe we should stop doing business with these companies because they are not doing enough.

I better put sarcasm here before people jump all over me.

[rockfordfile]

30. Good. Lets hear from NBA, NFL and others.