How Will Overturning Roe v. Wade Impact Companies and Jobseekers?

The overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court is affecting many companies in a broad range of industries. The ruling has sparked powerful conversations among HR managers and other company leaders who are deciding where they stand on reproductive rights and associated healthcare provisions for employees, and how they will communicate those policies.

Jobseekers, meanwhile, will have to make decisions on how their feelings about the issue affect their willingness to work for companies that have expressed a point of view about abortion rights.

As Forbes explained,

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling that overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion across the United States. The weight of this decision was felt nationwide affecting employees’ ability to stay focused on their work…Despite what many may believe, the demise of Roe v. Wade is an economic, diversity and workplace issue.

Many large companies, including Disney, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs quickly stepped up and are offering to cover the costs of travel and procedures associated with legal abortions for employees. But with over 20 states preparing to restrict access to abortion, the impacts of this ruling will be spread far and wide, and will have significant impacts on both businesses and their employees.

The effect of Roe v. Wade on attracting employees

As we’ve shared in previous posts, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) is a vital initiative in most companies now, and an indicator of workplace culture to potential employees, particularly Millennials and Gen Z candidates.

Similarly, a company’s stance on reproductive rights may influence candidates, even if they think access to abortion might not directly affect them personally, and many companies are aware of this as they factor in retention and hiring as they decide where they stand on the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

On the flip side, there are companies that are steadfast in not making provisions for abortion access, either because of deep ideological beliefs that define their company’s culture, or because they have an agnostic approach to anything divisive or political and prefer to be perceived as neutral.

How much do candidates care?

Many organizations are reacting swiftly to the ruling. Beyond the ones we’ve mentioned, there’s a growing list of companies that offer extended reproductive benefits. Many of these companies are in manufacturing, heavy industry and tech sectors. 

How much will candidates care about these particular benefits, especially when weighed against salary or other factors? The answer is it probably depends on the candidates’ own beliefs, something you can not ask about during the hiring process.

Also, the coverage being claimed by some companies isn’t as clear-cut as it seems. While Amazon is on the list, the company may “reimburse U.S. employees for abortion-related travel costs, but the policy doesn’t cover its 115,000 delivery drivers. And those are among the people who would be most affected by such a ruling.”

Many people believe that access to abortion is the cornerstone of reproductive rights, and honoring those rights is important to ensuring workplace equity. For many, the new ruling negates progress made in women’s rights, and poses serious questions about equity — not just based on gender, but potentially impacts on race, sexuality and socio-economic status. Whether we want them to or not, these controversies are extending into the workplace.

No easy answers for everyone…

Just as it’s up to candidates to weigh the various factors involved in taking a new job, it’s up to individual companies to decide whether to offer these abortion access benefits to candidates.  

According to a survey from Glassdoor last year, 76% of employees and job seekers said a diverse workforce was important when evaluating companies and job offers. For younger workers, where a company stands on the overturning of Roe v. Wade is inextricably tied to their DEI initiative and workplace culture.