Source: Business Insider India
On Monday, May 9, Microsoft Corp declared that it would improve its care services for workers. It said that it would expand its abortion and gender affirming care services for its employees in the country to integrate assistance in the spectrum of travel expenses.
Various companies such as Amazon, Yelp, Levi Strauss & Co., and Citigroup have stepped forward to similarly extend their services. They have given their words to cover expenses for US employees who would require to travel to any other state in order to get an abortion. Major companies such as Amazon.com Inc announced policies for travel expenses for services such as abortion. This was in reaction to the growing restrictive legislation for certain states that are Republican governed such as Texas and Oklahoma following legal developments.
On the other hand, some other major firms like Target Corp and Walmart have not yet taken any action. Since leak of the Supreme Court document of the possible overturning of 1973 Roe v. Wade, these employers have not weighed in like the other companies. The 1973 decision is known for legalising abortion in the entirety of the United States of America.
“This support is being extended to include travel expense assistance for these and other medical services where access to care is limited in availability in an employee’s home geographic region.”
Crucially, the current issue surrounding the overturn has received obvious urgency. Moreover, this is owing to 31 states in the country having placed abortions bans in the current year. The Guttmacher Institute research group specified these aspects in a policy analysis.
Microsoft Corp stated that it would go on “to do everything” they can according to the law to secure the rights of the employees, and ‘support’ them. The big tech would provide this support to the workers and their ‘enrolled dependents’ in gaining access to essential healthcare, including abortion, as well as gender affirming care in the US, irrespective of where they reside. A spokesperson from the tech giant revealed the company’s plans in a statement to concerned reporters.
Microsoft Corp specified that this ‘support’ they are extending would include assistance in the field of travel expenses. They stated that this would be for other medical services as well, beyond abortion and gender affirming cases in places where ‘access to care’ is not fully available in the geographic area of a worker’s residence.
