USA 
United Kingdom
Salesforce has become the latest firm to prepare support plans for any staff who will affected by potential changes to abortion laws.
The U.S. Supreme Court is due to rule by the end of June in a case that gives its Republican majority a chance to roll back abortion rights, or even overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalised the procedure nationwide. There are around two dozen states, including Oklahoma and Alabama, that are poised limits abortion access, should the Roe v. Wade ruling be overturned.
The controversial proposals have seen several firms reassure employees working in the affected states that, should the law be changed, they will have be aided through a range of measures, including expenses to travel out-of-state for legal abortions, and support in relocating to a different altogether, should they wish.
In a statement on LinkedIn, Cameron Maclean, Senior Director of Solution Engineering at cloud-based software firm Salesforce, confirmed the company’s bold stance on the matter.
He wrote: “If Roe vs Wade is reversed, and your state decides to limit access to your own reproductive rights, and you are a Salesforce employee, we will pay to relocate you to a location where those rights are not limited.
“I'm properly disgusted that regardless of your position on abortion, that the debate about rights to your own body has reopened. If you don't have a uterus, you are not entitled to an opinion in this debate. Full stop.”
Maclean concluded: “Women, we stand by you.”
In a follow-up comment on his post, which has so far received more than 1,700 comments, Maclean confirmed Salesforce was also offering employees financial support for gender transition, assessments, medicine and re-assignment surgery.
The decision sees Salesforce join firms in helping employees bypass the controversial conservative-backed state laws curbing abortion access.
In early May, Amazon announced it would reimburse staff in the US who travel for a wide range of non-life threatening medical treatments, including elective abortions.
The firm told its staff will pay up to $4,000 in travel expenses annually for non-life threatening medical treatments including abortions, according to a message seen by Reuters news agency. Amazon's new benefit, effective to Jan. 1 retroactively, applies if an operation is not available within 100 miles (161 km) of an employee's home and virtual care is not possible, the company's message said.
Citigroup and Yelp have also launched similar initiatives.
Such decisions show how companies are eager to retain and attract talent in locations that remain important to their operations despite legal changes impacting employees' health.
