Tech companies say they will help employees with travel expenses for abortions following the overturning of Roe v Wade

The US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, ruling that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the United States. With more than half of states either implementing an immediate ban on abortions or intending to do so as soon as possible, there are serious concerns about women's health care. Large-scale protests continue across the country, but particularly in Washington DC.

While unable to help the majority of those affected by the ruling, many of the major technology companies have detailed the support they offer employees seeking abortion services. Among those to offer helps such as the reimbursement of travel expenses are Microsoft, Meta and Apple.

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In many instances, companies are simply reiterating the support that they have offered for some time, but there are also instances of companies responding to the Supreme Court ruling by offering more support for employees.

Meta issued a statement following the ruling saying:

We intend to offer travel-expense reimbursements, to the extent permitted by law, for employees who will need them to access out-of-state healthcare and reproductive services. We are in the process of assessing how best to do so, given the legal complexities involved.

On Twitter, Bill Gates shared his view:

Even before the ruling was announced, Microsoft confirmed that it would offer "travel-expense assistance for these and other medical services where access to care is limited in availability in an employee’s home geographic region". This includes gender-affirming care as well as access to abortion services.

In a statement given to Fast Company, Apple said:

As we've said before, we support our 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.

Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg posted:

The Supreme Court's ruling jeopardizes the health and the lives of millions of girls and women across the country. It threatens to undo the progress women have made in the workplace and to strip women of economic power. It will make it harder for women to achieve their dreams. And it will disproportionately impact women with the fewest resources.

This is a huge setback. For ourselves, our daughters, and every generation that follows, we must keep up the fight. Together, we must protect and expand abortion access.

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