“In low-wage sectors, this is going to become one of those issues where people leave low-paying jobs for slightly better-paying jobs,” said Bianca Agustin, director of corporate accountability for United for Respect, a non-profit labor rights group. . “Given the proliferation of companies that have public commitments, I imagine there will be some movement on this.”
Walmart, Darden Restaurants, McDonald’s, Home Depot, Hilton, Dollar General and FedEx, which together employ millions of people across the country, did not say whether they would cover travel for abortions outside of the country. State. A spokeswoman for Walmart, which has 1.7 million employees in the United States, said the company regularly reviews its benefits based on employee demand, and that the company is “now reviewing the evolution federal and state landscape” when considering its offerings. The other companies listed did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
“We are working thoughtfully and diligently to find the best path forward, guided by our desire to support our associates, all of our associates,” Doug McMillon, Walmart chief executive, wrote in a memo to staff Friday.
Amazon, the nation’s second-largest private employer after Walmart, said it would cover out-of-state abortion travel for its employees, most of whom are hourly workers. But that perk applies to employees of its healthcare plan, not the contractors who make up a substantial part of its workforce, like its vast network of delivery drivers.
As the list of companies covering abortion-related travel grows, some workers wonder why their employers won’t do the same. Isabela Burrows, 19, who works at a PetSmart in Howell, Michigan, learned that Roe v. Wade had been knocked down by a client last week and was frustrated that her company had said nothing. Michigan has an abortion ban that has been blocked in court and which Democratic leaders have said they will not enforce.