Several major US companies have pledged to provide health insurance for out-of-state abortions, with some also criticizing the Supreme Court decision overturning state abortion rights.
But the issue remains a hot topic, forcing companies to navigate dynamic political terrain where potential legal liability is at stake.
“Today’s Scotus ruling endangers women’s health, denies them their human rights and threatens to undo the progress we’ve made toward gender equality in the workplace since Roe,” said Jeremy Stoppelman. Yelp Chief Executive on Twitter.
“Business leaders must speak up now and ask Congress to legislate Roe.”
But few other CEOs of major US companies joined Stoppelman Friday in condemning the decision.
More common were statements from companies announcing or repeating their intention to compensate employees if they have to travel for an abortion.
Friday’s ruling overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade” of 1973, which enshrined a woman’s right to an abortion, and stated that individual states could limit or prohibit the procedure themselves.
The decision is expected to result in a patchwork law in the United States, with abortion legal in progressive states like California and New York and banned in more conservative states like Texas.
Yelp and Airbnb were among companies to announce such benefits last September, after a Texas law bans abortions after six weeks, or before many women know they’re pregnant.
Others, including Citigroup, Tesla, and Amazon, had also announced the benefit in the months that followed.
Other companies came forward after a draft of Friday’s abortion decision was released in a press leak in May; This group included Starbucks, Levi Strauss and JPMorgan Chase.
On Friday, Disney added its name to the list, assuring employees access to reproductive care services “no matter where they live,” according to a memo reported by CNBC.
But many other big companies have avoided discussing the issue publicly, a dynamic Wharton Business School professor Maurice Schweitzer says isn’t surprising.
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“I think we will see more statements from companies. But companies face a challenge. On the one hand, they want to be active, get involved, make a statement, lead the way on this issue, because for some companies their employees are particularly important,” said Schweitzer.
“But it’s a complicated issue because the legal landscape is going to change,” which opens companies up to possible litigation, he added.
Schweitzer pointed to Disney’s recent troubles in Florida as a cautionary tale.
The entertainment giant found itself between a rock and a hard place as Florida lawmakers pushed ahead with what critics dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which bans teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools.
After initially remaining silent on the proposal, Disney eventually spoke out on the measure, enraging far-right Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who eventually signed a second law penalizing Disney specifically over the dispute by changing the company’s special status around its theme park picked up in Orlando.
Disney “frustrated employees by not speaking up early enough, but also incurred costs from political infighting.”
Schweitzer noted that more companies have spoken out in recent years, such as Apple CEO Tim Cook on gay rights and Dick’s Sporting Goods on gun control, which announced on Friday that they are offering up to $4,000 for Providing employees, their spouses or their dependents will be traveling for an abortion.
But the procedure is “more cumbersome” than many questions, said Schweitzer.
“It’s easier for companies to try to remain silent than to wade into it,” he said.
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