How are the largest U.S. companies reacting to Roe v. Wade decision?

Amazon cuts COVID paid leave in half

When Politico published a leaked draft of the Supreme Court decision in May, Amazon representatives told employees that the company would pay “$4,000 in travel expenses annually for non-life threatening medical treatments including abortions,” according to Reuters. (Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Some of the nation’s largest companies have responded to the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade by updating the health-care package they offer employees.

Of the 10 biggest companies, only four have made a public or private statement that has made it to the media, while the other six have remained silent, according to Stacker.com, which used Google’s Advanced Search options to compile the reactions of the top 10 biggest companies in the United States.

Here’s a look at the top 10 companies on the Fortune 500 list, and their reaction to the ruling:

10. AmerisourceBergen

(Number of employees: 42,000)

No public or private statement has made it to media outlets so far.

9. McKesson

(Number of employees: 67,500)

No public or private statement has made it to media outlets so far.

8. Alphabet

(Number of employees: 156,500)

Though the holding company that conglomerates Google and its subsidiaries has remained silent so far, Google’s chief people officer Fiona Cicconi sent a staff-wide email saying, among other things, that “employees can apply for relocation without justification.”

Also, Alphabet Workers Union asked the company via Twitter to end financial support for conservative politicians who are “anti-reproductive justice and anti-worker,” adding that “abortion access is a labor issue,’’ Stacker.com reported.

7. Berkshire Hathaway

(Number of employees: 372,000)

Berkshire Hathaway has not made any public statements on the issue so far, but several media outlets have reported on the willingness of the company’s largest shareholder, Warren Buffett, to give away 99% of his wealth when he dies.

The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which is a major funder of abortion rights, may receive up to $100 billion from Buffett’s estate, according to the Wall Street Journal.

6. Exxon Mobil

(Number of employees: 63,000)

The natural gas company has not yet made a public statement.

5. UnitedHealth Group

(Number of employees: 350,000)

Minnesota-based managed health-care and insurance corporation UnitedHealth Group was on the news for donating more than $100,000 to Texas lawmakers who, when elected, sponsored the new abortion law.

“We are reviewing the court’s opinion now and will communicate more information as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement. “We remain committed to helping members and patients get access to their plan benefits and services.”

4. CVS Health

(Number of employees: 258,000)

The health-care company will make out-of-state medical care accessible for its employees, including abortion, a spokesperson said in a statement.

3. Apple

(Number of employees: 154,000)

The New York Times obtained a recording of a speech from Apple’s CEO Tim Cook during an employee-only discussion last year, in which he said the company would cover out-of-state abortion procedures for employees who need or desire it.

Cook was asked about Apple’s policy in September 2021, after Texas passed a law restricting abortion.

2. Amazon

(Number of employees: 1,608,000)

When Politico published a leaked draft of the Supreme Court decision in May, Amazon representatives told employees that the company would pay “$4,000 in travel expenses annually for non-life threatening medical treatments including abortions,” according to Reuters.

Yet, Amazon gig workers and delivery drivers are not enrolled in the company health-care plan, and therefore cannot benefit from the coverage.

1. Walmart

(Number of employees: 2,300,000)

Walmart, which currently employs 1.6 million people in the United States, has not made it clear whether it will cover employees’ abortion costs.

A spokeswoman from the company said it is now “looking at the evolving federal and state landscape” while considering offerings, according to The New York Times.

The company’s worker advocacy group United for Respect, claimed that Walmart’s current plan only covers abortions for workers whose lives are in danger.

Walmart has a history of donating to anti-abortion politicians.

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