Last week, the United States of America Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade -- a 50-year-old landmark ruling that protected the federal, constitutional right to abortion.?
And this is set to truly change the landscape of reproductive health in the nation, with the abortion policy being limited to a handful of states while allowing several other states to pass restrictions on abortion rights.?
This means people belonging to the state where abortion is banned will have to travel to other states to have the procedure, making the already difficult situation more challenging.
However, several tech giants that have their offices in Republican-controlled states are showing support and allowing financial aid and other forms of assistance to their staff that wishes to seek abortion care.
The most valued tech company in the US was one of the first to offer help.?
Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed last year in September after a Texas anti-abortion law came into effect, that the company¡¯s existing benefits package allows employees to travel out of state formedical care if it¡¯s unavailable in their home state.?
Google has told its employees that it will allow them to move to another state that doesn¡¯t have abortion restriction laws, without really having to justify it. For employees who don¡¯t wish to relocate, the company¡¯s insurance would cover out-of-state medical procedures that aren¡¯t available where the employee lives and works.
Fiona Cicconi, Google¡¯s HR chief said in a statement, ¡°This is a profound change for the country that deeply affects so many of us, especially women. Please be mindful of what your co-workers may be feeling and, as always, treat each other with respect.¡±
Right after the draft to overturn the aforementioned judgement was leaked, Microsoft issued a statement which extended its financial support for ¡®critical healthcare¡¯ that included abortions and gender-affitming care, including coverage of travel expenses involved in such services.
As per a Netflix spokesperson in a conversation with CNN, the streaming giant is offering travel reimbursement coverage for US full-time employees as well as their dependents in need for travelling for healthcare treatments, which includes abortions and gender-affirming care.?
The company actually offers a lifetime allowance of $10,000 per employee or their dependents, per service.?
Meta has announced that it is willing to offer travel expense reimbursement, ¡®to the extent permitted by law¡¯ for employees who wish to seek out-of-state healthcare and reproductive services.?
The spokesperson further stated, "We are in the process of assessing how best to do so given the legal complexities involved."?
Companies behind major dating apps such as Bumble, Tinder etc have also shown support for their employees.?
Bumble, which touts to be a female-focussed dating app announced on Friday that they will support their employees¡¯ ability to access ¡®the healthcare services they need¡¯ which includes abortion care.?
In a statement, a Bumble spokesperson stated that ¡°abortion is healthcare and healthcare is a human right,¡± while adding, ¡°we are deeply troubled by the Supreme Court decision.¡±
They've also announced that they¡¯d donate to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.?
Match group last year in October initiated a partnership with Planned Parenthood Los Angeles to offer abortion access for its Texas employees and dependents.?
As per Match spokesperson, the company is now working on expanding this benefit to all of its staff in the US including remote employees belonging to the states that could see ban in abortion. The healthcare plan also covers travel and lodging costs for employees who need to travel to receive healthcare.
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