Yelp joins companies offering workers help with abortion care
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM/CNN) - The online review company Yelp has joined a growing list of businesses supporting abortion access for their employees in the face of laws in Texas and other GOP-lead states that effectively ban it.
In a statement Tuesday, the same day Oklahoma's governor signed a near-total abortion ban, Yelp said it would cover travel expenses for any of its employees or their dependents who are forced to seek abortion care out of state.
"We've long been a strong advocate for equality in the workplace, and believe that gender equality cannot be achieved if women's health care rights are restricted," said Miriam Warren, Yelp's chief diversity officer.
Citigroup, Match, Bumble, Lyft and Uber have announced similar support for staff in states where access to abortion is being curtailed.
Corporate America is increasingly being drawn from the political sidelines in response to demands from investors, customers and employees. When Moscow sparked international outrage by invading Ukraine over a month ago, dozens of companies swiftly abandoned or scaled back their operations in Russia.
Executives are also learning how difficult it can be to craft a political message without angering one side or another. Take Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who last month initially failed to condemn Florida's so-called Don't Say Gay bill, only to backtrack and take a stronger stance against the legislation when the company's staff and fans pushed back.
Last year, as several states pushed legislation that would make it harder for some citizens to vote, hundreds of prominent executives from companies including Amazon, Google, BlackRock and Starbucks signed a statement opposing the bills.
As the anti-abortion measures wind their way through Republican-led state governments, a handful of businesses have announced assistance for their staff in those areas.
Oklahoma is the latest Republican-led state to severely restrict abortion, following Texas, Arizona, South Dakota and Idaho.
Last month, Arizona's Republican Governor Doug Ducey signed into law a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks, similar to a Mississippi law that is being heard by the Supreme Court. South Dakota's Governor Kristi Noem signed legislation that further restricts access to medication-induced abortions in the state.
In Idaho, the state Supreme Court temporarily blocked legislation modeled after the Texas law, which bans abortions after about six weeks and allows private citizens to enforce the restrictions with lawsuits against doctors, nurses, clinics, or anyone else who helps someone get an abortion after the six-week window has closed.
