NEW YORK: Several large US companies have pledged to provide health coverage for out-of-state abortions, with a few also slamming the Supreme Court decision nullifying federal abortion rights.
But the issue remains a hot potato, requiring companies to navigate dynamic political terrain with potential legal liability at stake.
"Today's Scotus (Supreme Court of the United States) 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," said Yelp chief executive Jeremy Stoppelman on Twitter.
"Business leaders must speak out now and call on Congress to codify Roe into law."
But few other CEOs of large US companies joined Stoppelman Friday in condemning the decision.
More common were statements from companies announcing or reiterating intention to reimburse employees if they need to travel for an abortion.
Friday's ruling overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision enshrining a woman's right to an abortion, saying individual states can restrict or ban the procedure themselves.
The decision is expected to result in patchwork legal rights across the United States, with abortion legal in progressive states like California and New York and barred in more conservative states like Texas.
Yelp and Airbnb were among the companies to announce such benefits last September following a Texas law banning abortion after six weeks, or before many women know they are pregnant.
Others, including Citigroup, Tesla and Amazon, had also announced the benefit in following months.
More companies came forward after a draft version of Friday's abortion ruling was published 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 of access to reproductive care benefits "no matter where they live," according to a memo reported by CNBC.
But many other large companies have avoided publicly discussing the topic, a dynamic that Wharton business school professor Maurice Schweitzer considers unsurprising.
Artmotion Asia
