5 Things Companies Should Ask When Considering Taking a Stance on Abortion
After today’s Supreme Court ruling officially overturned Roe v. Wade, many companies are struggling to determine whether to take a stance on abortion access. Data shows that nearly one in four women will have an abortion in their lifetime, meaning this is an issue that will likely touch several of your employees and/or their families.
While the majority of Americans oppose this decision, it is clearly a hot-button topic that could upset some corporate stakeholders and affect a company’s brand. In fact, according to a recent poll, 35% of US adults said they are more likely to support a brand that supports abortion rights, while 28% are more likely to support a brand that opposes them.
Perhaps the most difficult thing for companies to figure out is how to address this issue with their employees. Major companies, including Amazon, Tesla, Starbucks, Bumble, and Yelp, quickly responded to the draft opinion by expanding employee benefits policies to include coverage for reproductive healthcare and/or offering travel benefits for employees unable to get an abortion in their home state. At the same time, many companies have decided not to take a stance for a variety of reasons.
While some companies may have missions and values that directly align with abortion access (healthcare companies, for instance), others are facing the difficult task of deciding whether to take a stand. Below are five questions business leaders should consider when deciding if and how they should get involved:
Do your healthcare policies currently cover abortion?
The majority of corporate healthcare policies don’t cover abortion today. That said, before you consider expanding (or revoking) this coverage, you should make sure abortion services aren’t already a part of your company’s benefits plan.
What are your family planning/leave policies?
In a country without universal paid leave or childcare, only a limited number of states mandate paid family leave. Employees outside of those states are beholden to their employer’s policies to determine how much paid leave (if any) they will receive after giving birth. Additionally, some companies offer paternal paid leave and dependent care coverage. It’s important to have a strong understanding of your policies to help employees navigate work and family planning.
Is equity a focus area for your company?
Some companies have linked the decision to support abortion access to their support of gender and racial equity, citing stats such as the fact that Black women who are unable to get an abortion are three times more likely to be unemployed after six months. Consider drafting statements to prepare how to respond to questions from employees, customers and investors that make the connection between racial equality and abortion access.
Are you currently supporting anti-abortion politicians/groups?
As companies get more involved in funding PACs and exercising corporate political influence, the risk of being called out for supporting candidates/policies that work against a company’s stated values is very high. If your company decides to take a stand for/against today’s ruling, be prepared to have your political influence and action programs examined. Recently, companies have received negative PR for expressing support of gender equality while also funding politicians who support anti-abortion laws.
What do the majority of your stakeholders want?
This question is difficult to answer. While some companies may consider sending out an all-employee survey, there are other ways to try to understand how employees feel about sensitive topics like abortion. Some organizations leverage their ERGs (employee resource groups) as an outlet for people to share how they feel about certain subjects. Because ERG members typically share something in common with each other, they can be a safe space for employees to communicate. Additionally, some companies host employee info sessions with non-partisan groups that present facts (without an agenda) about legislation and current events surrounding issues like abortion.
Abortion is one of the most divisive issues in our country today. No matter if a company chooses to take a stance one way or another, or chooses not to engage at all, it is likely that it won’t be able to make every stakeholder happy. But with today’s announcement, companies must have a plan for whether or not (and how) they will engage. Making sure they have a solid answer to the questions above is the first step.
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