Amazon will cover travel costs for employees wanting an abortion, as US Supreme Court ponders overturning Roe v Wade
Tech giant Amazon will cover travel costs for abortions amid controversy over proposed changes to the law in the US.
The company will expand its coverage to employees to support them in having the procedure, as a leaked document claimed the US Supreme Court is going to overturn the historic Roe v Wade ruling, legalising the practice.
According to The Times, Amazon, which employee 1.6m across the globe made the change as numerous Conservative states are trying to block access to abortions.
It joins more than 50 American firms, including Yelp and Patagonia, which signed a statement opposing Texas’ new law banning abortion after six weeks. Salesforce, a tech giant, even offered to relocate employees from Texas after the law came into effect.
Today it was revealed that a ‘first draft’ of a Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs Wade had been created. If it is passed, it would make abortion illegal across 13 states with ‘trigger’ laws, while other states would be allowed to chose their stance on it.
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the reports, and said: “Amazon has expanded the travel and lodging benefit to cover travel for a number of non-life threatening conditions if a provider is not available within 100 miles of an employee’s home.
“This is not specific to any one treatment or condition, and applies only to US employees who are enrolled in employer-provided healthcare plans.”
President Joe Biden called womens’ right to chose to have an abortion “fundamental”, as groups advocating a ban welcomed the decision.
The US Supreme Court has since announced it is to investigate the “egregious” leak.