Apple, Disney, Others Speak Out on Supreme Court Overturning Roe v. Wade
Some companies have said they'll cover expenses for employees who need to seek health care out of state.
The Supreme Court on Friday eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion in the US, overturning the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade.
The court's decision gives states the power to make their own laws on abortion, many of which have banned or plan to ban or severely restrict access to abortion. Eight states have bans that are now effective, with at least another eight to soon follow.
As the nation grapples with the impact of the ruling, several prominent executives from tech, entertainment and other industries have spoken out. Some companies have also said they'll cover travel expenses for employees who can't access abortions where they live.
What executives say and companies are doing
Apple: The iPhone maker said it supports "employees' rights to make their own decisions regarding their reproductive health."
"For more than a decade, Apple's comprehensive benefits have allowed our employees to travel out-of-state for medical care if it is unavailable in their home state," said an Apple spokesperson.
Box: CEO Aaron Levie shared a statement from the file-sharing and cloud storage company, saying he was disappointed in the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
"In light of the decision, we want to reaffirm that Box will continue to support paid time off and will also cover travel and medical expenses for employees to obtain critical reproductive health care services," reads the statement Levie shared on Twitter. "We remain committed to creating a safe, equitable, and inclusive workplace for all Boxers."
Bungie: Game studio Bungie said it was "undeterred" in its "commitment to stand up for reproductive choice and liberty."
In a blog post, the company said it would implement a travel reimbursement program for employees to use when they or their dependents can't access needed health care where they live.
Disney: Disney told employees on Friday that it's "committed to providing comprehensive access to quality and affordable care," including family planning and pregnancy termination.
The company offers travel benefits that let employees access medical treatments that may be unavailable in their location, said a Disney spokesperson. All US employees who opt in to Disney's health care plan are eligible, including cast members at parks and resorts.
Google: In a companywide email published by CNBC on Friday evening, Google Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi told employees they can apply for relocation without justification. She also pointed out that company benefits in the US cover out-of-state medical procedures that aren't accessible where an employee lives and works. That benefit also covers dependents, she said.
The overturn of Roe is "a profound change for the country that deeply effects so many of us, especially women," the memo reads.
"Equity is extraordinarily important to us as a company, and we share concerns about the impact this ruling will have on people's health, lives and careers. We will keep working to make information on reproductive healthcare accessible across our products and continue our work to protect user privacy."
Last month, members of Congress sent Google CEO Sundar Pichai a letter urging the company to stop collecting and retaining location data from its users, as it could be used to identify people who are seeking to obtain abortions.
Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the memo published by CNBC.
Match Group: The company, which owns popular dating services Tinder, Match, OkCupid and others, said it's committed to providing safe access to abortion care for all its employees.
In October 2021, the company established a partnership with Planned Parenthood Los Angeles to provide access to abortion care for Texas employees after the state passed a restrictive abortion law. The company is exploring ways to extend this partnership to all its US staff, said a Match Group spokesperson.
The company's health care plans also now help to cover travel and lodging costs for employees who may need to travel out of state for medical care, said the spokesperson.
Meta: In a post on the social network, Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg said the ruling "jeopardizes the health and the lives of millions of girls and women" across the US.
"I cannot believe that I'm going to send my three daughters to college with fewer rights than I had," Sandberg wrote. This is a huge setback. For ourselves, our daughters, and every generation that follows, we must keep up the fight."
Meta didn't immediately respond to a request for additional comment.
Microsoft: The tech company will "continue to do everything we can under the law to support our employees and their enrolled dependents in accessing critical health care -- which already includes services like abortion and gender-affirming care -- regardless of where they live across the US," said a Microsoft spokesperson. This includes "expense assistance for these and other lawful medical services" when care is limited in an employee's home region.
Uber: On Friday, the ride-hailing company reiterated to US employees that it provides "a range of reproductive health benefits, including pregnancy termination and travel expenses to access health care," according to a spokesperson.
"We will also continue to stand behind drivers, reimbursing legal expenses if any driver is sued under state law for providing transportation on our platform to a clinic," said the Uber spokesperson.
The company put that policy in place last year after Texas passed Senate Bill 8, a law that bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. It allows individuals to sue people aiding in an abortion, including doctors and people driving someone seeking an abortion to a clinic.
Yelp: Jeremy Stoppelman, CEO and co-founder of Yelp, said in a tweet that the Supreme Court 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." He called on business leaders to speak out against the "wave of abortion bans" triggered by the decision and call for Congress to codify the right to an abortion into law.
In April, the company expanded its health insurance coverage, which already included abortion care, to provide travel benefits to US employees and their dependents who may need to seek care out of state. In 2018, Yelp also undertook efforts to reduce misinformation on the reviews site and ensure it accurately categorized reproductive health care providers, which offer abortion services, and so-called crisis pregnancy centers, which do not.
More reactions to Roe v. Wade being overturned
Alexis Ohanian: The co-founder of Reddit, who is married to tennis star Serena Williams, questioned in a series of tweets whether the Supreme Court would go further and overturn Loving v. Virginia, a landmark 1967 civil rights ruling that legalized interracial marriage.
"'Let the states decide' they said -- so they said interracial marriage was illegal -- even sent newlyweds to prison for it. This only stopped happening in America 55 years ago, folks," Ohanian wrote in a tweet, referring to laws against interracial marriage before the high-court decision in Loving v. Virginia. "Fifty Five Years Ago I could've gone to jail for marrying the woman I love."
Bill Gates: In a tweet Friday, the co-founder of Microsoft said overturning Roe v. Wade is an "unjust and unacceptable setback. And it puts women's lives at risk, especially the most disadvantaged."
Hillary Clinton: In a tweet Friday, the former secretary of state said: "Most Americans believe the decision to have a child is one of the most sacred decisions there is, and that such decisions should remain between patients and their doctors." Clinton added that the Supreme Court decision will "live in infamy as a step backward for women's rights and human rights."
Michelle Obama: Former first lady Michelle Obama said in a statement posted to social media that she was "heartbroken for people around this country who just lost the fundamental right to make informed decisions about their own bodies." She called the decision "horrifying" and "devastating" but encouraged people to take action by getting involved with organizations including Planned Parenthood and The United State of Women.
