After decades of avoiding this taboo subject, more and more American companies are taking a stand on abortion rights, a sign that a new generation with different expectations is taking a stand.
A few hours after the US Supreme Court leaked a draft opinion that could overturn a previous ruling protecting abortion rights, many US companies reacted publicly.
"Knowing what is at stake, business leaders must be heard and act to safeguard the health and well-being of our workers," Levi Strauss officials wrote. "This includes protecting reproductive rights," they added."
Like the famous jeans company, Apple has pledged to cover the costs of its employees who are forced to travel to another state to undergo an abortion. Removing the right to abortion "will jeopardize the rights of millions of women," said Yelp, which called it "an earthquake for our society and economy" and asked companies to "take action."
Since September, when a law went into effect in Texas that allows abortions only up to the sixth week of pregnancy, Amazon, Uber and Citigroup announced that they would cover the extra costs for their employees who would have to go to another state to undergo the procedure.
"We are living in an unusual period in politics and this issue has risen to the top of the agenda, which will force companies to take a stand," believes Morris Schweitzer, a professor at Wharton University.
"Companies operating in states that may abolish the right to abortion have to decide whether to cover the costs (...), this will de facto force them to take a stand," says Niru Paharia, a professor at Georgetown. According to the New York Times, Tesla, which recently moved its headquarters from California to Texas, has pledged to cover these costs.
Generational issue
The new boldness of some American companies is also linked to the fact that "in this country, there are more people in favour of the right (to abortion) than those who are against it," Paharia recalled.
The announcements of many large companies are part of "the general trend" that has been going on for about ten years and which "really spread in the era of (Donald) Trump's presidency," she underlined.
Immigration, the rights of the LGBT community, gun legislation, the Black Lives Matter movement, access to the vote ... controversial issues came to the fore one after the other in a climate of extreme polarisation and many companies were forced to react by taking pressure from a portion of their employees.
"It's a generational issue," explains Mark Hash, a professor at Arizona State University. "Millennials, Generation Z are increasingly concerned about their company values."
"Apple, Amazon or Uber want to have the best professionals," he continues, "so their employees are kind of a buffer."
"The labor market is tight and it's hard to find some skilled workers," Paharia notes. Expectations of employers have increased, she says, in a country where trust in the political system has been eroding for many years.
Schweitzer also draws a distinction between new economy companies, whose employees have more degrees and expertise than average and can often work from anywhere, and more traditional companies, often based in more conservative areas.
The latter often have less skilled employees who cannot work remotely, whose influence over the company is limited.
"It's a key reason why tech companies have reacted" to abortion, he explains, "while other companies have avoided" the issue. Unlike in the past, companies that have publicly expressed support for abortion rights have avoided retaliation, calls for boycotts or smear campaigns.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio has introduced a bill that would prohibit companies from enjoying tax breaks for their expenses associated with traveling employees to undergo abortions, but there is little chance that it will be adopted.
"People who want to restrict access to abortion are in a minority and right now they seem to be registering victories," Schweitzer elaborates. "I am not surprised that conservatives are reacting rather calmly."
Source: protothema.gr
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