Google allows staff to RELOCATE to states with abortion rights 'without justification' after Roe v Wade overturn
Following the US Supreme court's ruling about overturning Roe v Wade which established the right to an abortion on June, 24, Google sent its US employees a memo on Saturday, June 25 stating that they can apply for relocation to other states where abortion is legal without any justification, as reported by CNBC. Fiona Cicconi, Google’s chief people officer, who is also the CEO of Google-owned YouTube, wrote in a tweet on Friday, June 25, "As a CEO I recognize there are a spectrum of opinions on the SCOTUS ruling today. As a woman, it’s a devastating setback. I personally believe every woman should have a choice about how and when to become a mother. Reproductive rights are human rights."
In the memo, Cicconi reiterated that the company’s US benefits plan and health insurance cover “out-of-state medical procedures that are not available where an employee lives and works". In addition, Google workers can “apply for relocation without justification, and those overseeing this process with being aware of the situation.” Google also will “keep working to make information on reproductive healthcare accessible across our products and continue our work to protect user privacy,” Cicconi wrote.
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As a CEO I recognize there are a spectrum of opinions on the SCOTUS ruling today. As a woman, it’s a devastating setback. I personally believe every woman should have a choice about how and when to become a mother. Reproductive rights are human rights.
— Susan Wojcicki (@SusanWojcicki) June 24, 2022
“This is a profound change for the country that deeply affects so many of us, especially women,” she wrote in the memo. “Please be mindful of what your co-workers may be feeling and, as always, treat each other with respect.”
However, the note did not state how many applications the company would approve. The company is still in the process of assigning relocations for employees who don’t want to come back into their assigned physical office due to the company’s return-to-office policy, which began in April. Cicconi also said it will be providing “support sessions” to employees in the coming days.
Google's statement was accompanied by other tech and media companies, including Meta, Amazon, Tesla, Netflix, Apple, Disney, Comcast, Warner Bros. Discovery and Condé Nast have said they will pay employees’ expenses if they need to travel outside their home state to access reproductive healthcare services.
Google has 29 offices across the US, including in four states — Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin — where abortion is currently illegal or where laws banning or restriction abortions are likely to soon go into effect. The Supreme Court’s ruling does not make abortion illegal throughout the US — instead, it leaves the decision to individual state governments.
Several states have immediately restricted abortion rights, including Louisiana, Missouri, and Kentucky. Other states, including California, where Google is headquartered, have vowed to protect abortion rights within their borders.
Google spokesperson Nicolas Lopez confirmed to The Verge that “there have been no changes” to the company’s relocation policy following the Supreme Court’s ruling. The full letter can be checked here