NEW YORK: PR firms and companies across sectors are speaking out after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The decision, which takes away women’s constitutional protections for abortion, is likely to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states.
Here is how PR firms reacted to Friday’s news…
BerlinRosen
We’re honored to partner with organizations at the forefront of working to ensure that all people can access safe, affordable abortion care whenever they need it. And we will continue to fight every day to show the nation that abortion access is critical to a thriving democracy.
— BerlinRosen (@BerlinRosen) June 24, 2022
Ditto PR
Ditto PR’s headquarters is in Texas, and 20% of its employees are based there.
In a statement to PRWeek, Ditto said it will pay for travel and lodging for family planning needs.
“Ditto has always offered comprehensive family planning benefits and we will cover travel and lodging expenses for any staffer where these services are not available to ensure the health and safety of our employees,” the agency said.
Imre
SourceCode Communications
Spool
We will fight todays decision and protect our people until it is overturned. pic.twitter.com/DebKhUYBJU
— Catherine M. Merritt (@CathMerritt) June 24, 2022
Bospar
#SCOTUS overturns #RoevWade and #BosparStandsUp to protect our employees' reproductive rights. $10K to relocate to a #prochoice state & will pay costs if forced to travel for care. #Data shows many fear #antiwomen #antiabortion 'Handmaid's Tale' future.https://t.co/6KZifvyG6O
— Bospar PR (@BosparPR) June 24, 2022
Stagwell
"We are singularly focused on supporting our people through this transition. While we cannot predict how abortion access will evolve in the coming months, or even years, Stagwell believes employees should have access to excellent health care, regardless of their location. We are taking immediate steps that will expand our network travel benefits to give employees access to the nearest approved reproductive healthcare provider in a legally permissible way,” said chairman and CEO Mark Penn. “We hope this travel benefit will provide employees located in states that have implemented new restrictions on reproductive rights with access to care.”
Here’s how other companies have responded to the decision…
Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Airbnb said their U.S. healthcare plans cover abortions and that they would continue to cover travel expenses for employees who seek medical treatment outside their home states.
JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase said it will pay for employees travel to states that allow legal abortion.
Disney
Disney told staffers on Friday that it's "committed to providing comprehensive access to quality and affordable care," including family planning and pregnancy termination.
Google chief people officer Fiona Cicconi told employees they can apply for relocation without justification. She added that company’s benefits in the U.S. cover out-of-state medical procedures that aren't accessible where an employee lives and works. That benefit also covers dependents, reported CNBC.
Meta
Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, said it intends “to offer travel-expense reimbursements, to the extent permitted by law, for employees who will need them to access out-of-state healthcare and reproductive services.”
Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg said in a Facebook post that the Supreme Court’s ruling "jeopardizes the health and the lives of millions of girls and women" across the U.S.
Amazon
Amazon.com will pay up to $4,000 in travel expenses for abortion and other non-life-threatening medical procedures. The benefit applies if the medical care is not available within 100 miles of an employee’s home, Reuters reported. For life-threatening medical problems, Amazon offers up to $10,000 in travel reimbursements.
Apple
Apple’s health insurance provider will cover travel and medical costs of employees who want to get an abortion.
Box
— Aaron Levie (@levie) June 24, 2022
Patagonia
Patagonia has long supported abortion care, working parents, and families, and we’ll continue to do so. https://t.co/CDQM2IwjMq
— Patagonia (@patagonia) June 24, 2022
Yelp
Today's SCOTUS ruling puts women's health in jeopardy, denies them their human rights, and threatens to dismantle the progress we’ve made toward gender equality in the workplace since Roe. Business leaders must speak out now and call on Congress to codify Roe into law.
— Jeremy Stoppelman (@jeremys) June 24, 2022
TikTok
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) June 24, 2022
Bumble
Abortion is health care, and health care is a human right. Read our founder and CEO’s statement: https://t.co/AbdVltSMmf pic.twitter.com/yYlkY40xLY
— Bumble (@bumble) June 24, 2022
Tinder
We support the right to choose. We support the right to safe, accessible healthcare and reproductive rights for all.
— Tinder (@Tinder) June 25, 2022
Join as we stand with Planned Parenthood in taking action. Visit https://t.co/DkSt9MoL2s now. pic.twitter.com/DmzNhsvxrv
OkCupid
OkCupid's has created a pro-choice profile badge to match users with like-minded individuals.
— OkCupid (@okcupid) June 24, 2022
Ben & Jerry's
People are being escorted out of clinics this morning, stripped of their bodily autonomy. But while the law has changed, what is just has not.
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) June 24, 2022
While we grieve this horrific loss of rights, we must take care of each other and emerge a stronger movement seeking justice for all. https://t.co/gAFzhgEaoA
With today's overturning of #RoevWade, the movement for abortion rights needs our support more than ever. Here's how to take action: https://t.co/WuIrQk5zQu pic.twitter.com/jkPd0ZGR5g
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) June 24, 2022
Overturning #RoevWade may only be the beginning. Many of the rights we take for granted today were not written into the Constitution, and therefore could be at risk. Learn more: https://t.co/hDxpBR54yw pic.twitter.com/X19J2WQ3W3
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) June 25, 2022
GoPro
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade erodes the rights of women in our country.
— GoPro (@GoPro) June 24, 2022
To support our people, GoPro is adding an enhanced benefit for all types of family planning and family forming including; abortion, adoption, fertility treatment and IVF, and more. pic.twitter.com/ZIq6C0DaGT
Dick's Sporting Goods
— DICK'S Sporting Goods (@DICKS) June 24, 2022