// Both Amazon and Levi’s will be offer employees travel reimbursement for abortion care
// The move comes as it emerged that the US Supreme Court is set to overturn the Roe v Wade decision that legalised abortion rights
Both Amazon and Levi’s has pledged to pay for its employees expensives if they are forced to travel to have an abortion in the wake of news that the US Supreme Court is set to overturn the Roe v Wade decision that legalised abortion rights.
Amazon, which is the second largest private employer in the US, told staff that it will pay up to $4,000 in travel expenses annually for non-life threatening medical treatments including abortions, according to Reuters.
Amazon will pay the costs if an operation is not available within 100 miles of an employee’s home and virtual care is not possible,
Meanwhile, Levi’s committed to provide reimbursement to employees for “healthcare-related travel expenses for services not available in their home state, including those related to reproductive health care and abortion”.
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In a blog post published on Wednesday by the company entitled, “Protecting Reproductive Rights – A Business Imperative,” Levi’s not onlyvowed to cover travel and medical costs and extended this offer to those that did not currently receive its benefits plan, such as part-time hourly employees.
“Access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, has been a critical factor to the workplace gains and contributions women have made over the past fifty years,” the blog post says, whilepointing out that “criminalising access will jeopardise that progress and disproportionately affect women of colour, putting their well-being at risk and impeding diverse hiring pipelines.”
Levi said it is important that businesses do what they can help.
“Given what is at stake, business leaders need to make their voices heard and act to protect the health and well-being of our employees. That means protecting reproductive rights,” it said.
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