WeTheChange believes the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is a significant step backward for our country, with implications for individual and population health, health equity, patients’ rights to privacy, and norms of democracy and law in the United States and globally. Protection of reproductive rights is a key indicator of health outcomes and health equity for people around the world, and restricted access to reproductive health services disproportionately affects low-income and BIPOC populations and people of color.
WeTheChange stands firmly against any policy that jeopardizes the rights of people to make decisions about their own bodies, their families, and their futures.
How can companies/employers respond following the Supreme Court decision?
- Mitigate the harm of restrictions by ensuring company benefits support the full spectrum of workers and their reproductive health care needs, centering those who will face the greatest barriers to accessing care. In line with this, companies can:
- Conduct a self-audit to identify and redress obstacles faced by workers who need to obtain abortion and other reproductive health care, including plan limitations, limitations in services offered by network providers, and the distance of providers who offer comprehensive care.
- Customize coverage if self-insured, without respect to state mandates or abortion restrictions. Companies that currently extend health insurance covering abortion care should affirm their intention to continue doing so. Those that do not offer this coverage, but have the ability to do so by virtue of being self-funded, should begin to offer it.
- Subsidize travel costs for workers with a flexible perk that does not require disclosure of health information.
- Provide paid sick leave or personal time that is not subject to approval.
- Whenever possible, provide work location alternatives to employees living in affected states.
- Understand and engage with reproductive health public policy at the state and federal level.
- Companies should communicate to lawmakers that public policies that limit access to reproductive health care threaten the health and wellbeing of their workers, negatively impact the talent pool, make it more difficult to recruit workers from out of state, and alienate consumers.
- Companies can provide time and simplicity for worker activism including providing:
- Align political giving with workforce, equity, and ESG commitments.
- Companies should discontinue political giving to elected officials at all levels who work to undermine access to reproductive healthcare, as well as political committees, and review criteria used in making these allocations in the 2022 cycle.
- Support reproductive justice efforts.
As decisions are made on a state-by-state basis, be prepared to raise your voices and support your workforce by:
Today
- Encouraging B Lab to continue taking an active and consistent public stance in support of reproductive health rights.
- Signing the Don’t Ban Equality pledge
- Joining We the Change as a Member or Ally in support of SDGs 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), 5 (Gender Equality), and 17 (Partnership for the Goals)
On Decision Day (may vary from state to state as decisions happen)
- Attend a Decision Day Mobilization at map.wewontgoback.com
- Share why you fight for abortion access with both internal and external audiences
- Donate to independent abortion providers through keepourclinics.org, and the National Network of Abortion Funds via the donate page.
- Have heart-to-heart conversations with people in your life about abortion and the work of abortion funds using these Heart-to-Heart Abortion Conversation tools and talking points.
After Decision Day
- Contact your governor and state legislators to demand they protect and expand abortion rights
- Contact your local Planned Parenthood organization to be plugged into local advocacy campaign efforts and community care work
- Support organizers in reproductive justice movements and harm reduction organizations such as:
- Organize or join a direct action event
Resources for Employers
- FAQ on HR policies and practices affected by the decision from the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM)
- Decision tracking and digital assets for use in educational and advocacy campaigns
- Connect with the Planned Parenthood Corporate Engagement Team to stay informed about issues and actions
Resources for Employees
Know your rights:
- FAQ from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Directories for finding abortion clinics and appointments:
For accurate information on medication and self-managed abortion access via telehealth:
For support paying for abortion procedures, as well as travel and lodging assistance:
- Brigid Alliance
- Desiree Alliance
- Midwest Access Coalition
- National Network of Abortion Funds directory to find closest abortion fund
- Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP)
Support independent abortion clinics and organizations providing access, education, and legal and financial support for those seeking reproductive health care.
State-by-state breakdown of abortion rights:
In solidarity, signed,
WeTheChange Women and Gender Non-Conforming Leaders of B Corps:
- Lindsay Lashell, Open Lines Marketing
- Michelle Hirons, HigherRing
- Minna Yoo, Love Bottle
- Lorraine Schuchart, Prosper for Purpose LLC
- Mary Stelletello, Vista Global Coaching & Consulting
- Carolina Miranda, Cultivating Capital
- Alisa Herr, Unity Web Agency
- Irma Rodriguez Mitton, Fruition Sustainability Solutions LLC
- Diana Marie Lee, Sweet Livity LLC
- Aimee Koval, Metis Consulting Group
- Jennifer Piette, Narrative Food
- Ruksana Azhu Valappil, NEEV
- Kristi Meyers, Legacy Vacation Resorts
- Anne Chambers, 17 Ways
- Liz Rubin, Ecodeo
- Rose Penelope Yee, Green Retirement, Inc.
- Jennifer Norman, The Human Beauty Movement, PBC
- Emily Lonigro, LimeRed
- Mia Levesque, YIKES, Inc.
- Jenn Diesi, Geek Girl Tech
- Polina Pinchevsky, RoundPeg Benefit LLC
- Elizabeth Topp, Meaningful Organizational Design – MōD
- Beth Salyers, Custom Learning Atelier
- Beth Carls, OneSeventeen Media PBC
- Kristen Cooper, Blackbird Benefits Collective
- Crystal Mario, Rivanna Natural Designs, Inc.
- Maryam Sharifzadeh, Office Yoga
- Lisa Geason-Bauer, Evolution Marketing
- Caryl Levine, Lotus Foods
- Mikaela Kiner, Reverb
- Deb Shannon, Shannon Resources LLC
- Kendra Peavy, BoldCo. A Purpose Consultancy.
- Rebecca Oppenheim, NextOPP Search
- Gail Tiburzi Buck, NextOPP Search
- Libby Castro, Workshop Architects
- Sara Schley, Seed Systems
- Paige Campbell, Grady Britton
- Lisa Hyman, goodDog
- Jenifer Gorin, Impact Growth Partners
- Susan Leger Ferraro, Imajine That/G3
- Suzanne Siemens, Aisle International
- Rebekah A Miel, Miel Design Studio
- Rachel Murray, She+ Geeks Out
- Liz Hunt, Smith Assembly
- Kirsten Ludwig, IN GOOD CO
- Catarina Soares, The Manipedi
- Anne Chambers, 17 Ways
- Kathy Perkins, Millerconsultants.com
- Kate Jakubas, Meliora Cleaning Products
- Christina Sjahli, Profit Reimagined Inc.
- Lara Pearson, Law office of Lara Pearson Ltd, PBC / Brand Geek
- Samantha Richardson, Ethical Profit Agency