Apple, Amazon, & Tesla Move To Bypass SCOTUS Abortion Ban

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Large companies including Levi Strauss, Apple, Tesla, and Amazon have launched initiatives that stand to help employees bypass the impacts of Republican restrictions on abortion, including those that may be imposed if the U.S. Supreme Court goes through with overturning its prior ruling in Roe v. Wade establishing nationwide abortion rights.

In the absence of that standard, Republican state officials could drastically restrict abortion access, potentially affecting millions of people. There are laws in place in certain states that would automatically ban most abortions if the Roe decision is overturned. In theory, there’s also a possibility of Republicans in Congress pursuing new restrictions on abortion at the federal level, although filibuster rules in the Senate could stop most Republican majorities in the chamber from acting — unless, of course, they drastically change those provisions, which is possible. Steps by these companies include plans to cover employee expenses incurred while procuring an abortion outside their home state.

“We know this is a fraught conversation; it’s not something we enter into lightly,” Levi Strauss & Co. said. “But women make up 58 percent of our global workforce, and in recent years, numerous employees have expressed to leadership their growing alarm over the rollback of all forms of reproductive care… 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.” As the company explains it, Levi Strauss “employees are eligible for reimbursement for healthcare-related travel expenses for services not available in their home state, including those related to reproductive health care and abortion.” Apple, Tesla, and Amazon have also outlined plans to cover abortion-related costs incurred by employees, although not all employees at these companies are eligible for all their employer’s available benefits.

Apple, for instance, seems to have originally internally unveiled an initiative along these lines meant to cover abortion-related travel costs after the imposition last year of a ban in Texas on most abortions after some six weeks of pregnancy, which is a point when many who are pregnant don’t even know it. The broader scope of Apple’s available assistance — beyond Texas-based employees — isn’t immediately clear. Tesla, meanwhile, has its headquarters in Texas — and the company will cover “travel and lodging support for those who may need to seek healthcare services that are unavailable in their home state,” which include abortion. Citigroup and Yelp are also among companies to have unveiled relevant assistance opportunities for employees. Starting this May, Yelp will cover travel costs for any U.S. employees or dependents of said employees who have to leave their state to obtain abortions. “It’s a priority for us to offer our employees consistent healthcare coverage, regardless of where they live,” a representative for Yelp recently stated.