Starbucks just made a major announcement that shows the company's fierce support of its female employees. The coffee giant announced this week that it will reimburse travel expenses for employees who need abortions and cannot get them within 100 miles of their homes.
The decision comes after the bombshell Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked that signified Roe v. Wade is likely to be overturned.
The company's acting vice president for partner resources, Sara Kelly, told employees she was “deeply concerned” in a memo sent just after the leak.
“I know this is weighing on many of you, so let me be clear upfront — regardless of what the Supreme Court ends up deciding, we will always ensure our partners have access to quality health care,” she assured employees in the memo.
While it's a major announcement, Starbucks is not the only large corporation vowing to support women. Yelp, Citigroup, and Tesla have all announced similar plans to help women who need to travel to other states for this kind of medical care.
Starbucks has 240,000 employees across the US. And with many women likely to have to go outside of their home states for abortion care services, this decision is a crucial one. Not only will it help women be able to afford the care they need, it could potentially save lives in the cases of medically necessary abortions that also could become much harder for women to receive.
Starbucks is giving employees other new medical benefits, too. The company will also reimburse employees who must travel to receive gender-affirming surgeries, as well. Dependents who are on the same health care plan will also be eligible for the benefits.
