With the historic repeal of the Roe v. Wade case, which legalized abortion throughout the United States, major banks and technology and entertainment companies in the country announced the inclusion of the procedure in the “benefits” granted to employees. Disney, Netflix, Meta (formerly Facebook), WarnerBros, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Airbnb are among the corporate giants that will even cover travel costs for women residing in regions where abortion is prohibited or limited. It is worth remembering that the change in jurisprudence does not prohibit abortion in the country, but allows each state to define its own legislation on the matter.
“We intend to offer reimbursement for travel expenses, to the extent permitted by law , for employees who will need them to access reproductive health services from out of state. We are in the process of evaluating how best to do this, given the complexities involved,” Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told NBC. .
A J.P Morgan bank memo obtained by the same vehicle states that the company offers to cover travel expenses for “all covered health care services that can only be obtained away from your home.” “, including termination of pregnancy. A representative for WarnerBros Discovery stated that the company is “committed to providing our employees across the country with access to consistent and comprehensive healthcare.”
“We will continue to provide benefits that support family planning from our colleagues whenever we are legally authorized to do so,” Citigroup’s head of human resources Sara Wechter wrote in a message sent to employees last Friday (24), when the Supreme Court announced the decision.
In the last month of May, when the preliminary version of the document annulling Roe v Wade was released by the American press, Microsoft extended its support funds for what he called “critical health care”. Apple is also among the companies that already reimbursed trips for the same purpose.
A report by the British newspaper The Guardian assesses that “the measures reflect, in some cases, the heightened responsibility that companies now feel in responding to pressure from investors, customers and employees. In other words, as described by Gazeta do Povo, although many of the leaders of these large companies support access to abortion and other progressive agendas, many are coerced into endorsing ideologies through virtual “cancellation” campaigns or the disputed “seals of good practices”.
“There are a few ways to understand this movement. The first is ideological: decision-makers in these companies can be advocates declarations of unlimited abortion. (…) The second is within the framework of ‘woke’ corporatism. Companies are increasingly prone to flexing their financial and cultural influence in an effort to implement the policies they desire. Likewise, they seem to believe that can score points with the public for signaling virtues on issues of culture warfare – although there is little evidence that this is actually an effective marketing tactic”, analyzes researcher Alexandre DeSanctis, from Ethics an d Public Policy Center.
“The third is a business issue, and specifically an issue of how to treat the female body in an economic structure built around the presence of women in the labor market. These companies may well have made the calculation that covering travel expenses for abortion would attract female employees to the company — and, more ominously, these executives may believe this policy is a great way to keep them. (…) After all, paying for an employee’s quick trip to have an abortion is much cheaper than paying for maternity leave.”
In republican states that, in face of the new legislation, are on the verge of criminalizing or drastically reducing access to abortion, the position of large corporations can generate new conflicts. Earlier this year, Texas State Representative Briscoe Cain sent a letter to Citigroup saying he would propose legislation banning business with any company that sponsors the termination of pregnancy. On the other hand, it is precisely these states that have been reducing taxes for the establishment of companies, so that the coming months will reveal the priorities of the corporations and the legislators involved.
With regard to allowing women residing in the United States to travel for abortions, the Supreme Court, mostly Republican, tends to reaffirm its commitment to freedom. On Tuesday, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a staunch supporter of the repeal of Roe v. Wade, ruled that it would be unconstitutional for a state to impose travel restrictions.
Pentagon guarantees “access to abortion”
On the Friday of the repeal of Roe v. Wade, the Pentagon issued a statement promising to protect “continuous access” to abortion for its employees. Currently, the Department of Defense does not have procedures in place to allow female service members to perform abortions if they are stationed in one of the states that prohibit or strongly restrict the practice.
“The Department is reviewing this decision to closely and evaluating our policies to ensure that we continue to provide ongoing access to reproductive health care as permitted by federal law,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. According to the Politico portal, the secretary began to develop new policies to guarantee the interruption of pregnancy for military personnel. Federal law only allows women to seek abortions at military facilities in the event of rape, incest or life-threatening pregnancy.
