In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, 20 U.S. states have either banned abortion already or are likely to do so soon, The Washington Post reports. For residents of those states who are seeking an abortion, their options are limited. Traveling to another state to get an abortion is legal, but the cost of doing so—which may include the cost of childcare or of missing work—means that for many pregnant people, this may not be feasible.
In response, some employers in those states are stepping in to cover the costs. Companies such as Disney, Comcast, Nike, PayPal and Netflix have released statements vowing to cover travel expenses for employees seeking abortions in other states. Other companies such as Salesforce and Google say they will allow employees to move to other states if they choose. With the future of abortion regulations so uncertain, are these corporations taking a legal risk by enacting such a policy? Northeastern experts say that despite the ever-changing legal sphere, companies are making the move for a variety of reasons that range from economic, to social, to moral.
