The Texas Abortion Ban is a Huge Business Mistake – And More Companies Need to Say So.
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Written by HRuprise founder, Rebecca Weaver.
Texas, a state famous for its devotion to personal freedom, became infamous this month for its assault on reproductive freedom through the passage of SB 8, aka the abortion ban.
Now, Texas is also known for being a business-friendly state. Corporations, entrepreneurs, and skilled professionals have flocked there in droves over the last few decades, drawn by its affordable real estate, lack of income taxes, and light regulatory environment.
That Texas lawmakers would jeopardize the state’s economic momentum with such a regressive bill is proof that misogyny and racism still hold equal or greater sway than money in the halls of American power.
The new law bars abortion as early as six weeks from the patient’s last menstrual cycle (which is actually more like 2-4 weeks from actual conception) and deputizes private citizens to sue individuals they suspect (no proof needed) of providing, aiding, or abetting abortion care.
The law is hostile to anyone who can become pregnant, plain and simple.
It’s especially hostile to people of color, who are less likely to have the financial resources to seek abortion care out of state. And studies suggest that the bill will strongly deter some workers from living and working in Texas.
But lawmakers are depending on Texas business leaders to stay quiet on this issue. They think they won’t suffer financial or political consequences as long as corporate America stays gun-shy on the A-word.
That’s why it’s crucial that businesses speak up against the abortion ban, and take steps to support full reproductive healthcare for all employees.
Now, before we get into the weeds on morals or politics, let me just pause and clarify that I’m not here to argue whether abortion is right or wrong.
My point is that it doesn’t matter what your personal views are. This is a business issue.
Multiple studies have concluded that up to two-thirds of college-educated workers would not accept a job in a state that had recently restricted abortion access, and half would consider moving out of such a state.
This is a BIG problem for businesses, especially in a moment when companies are already having huge difficulties attracting and retaining talent.
The fact is, 83% of women say they would want their employer to cover comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion. Businesses that don’t provide this coverage, don’t speak out against the abortion ban, and don’t include reproductive healthcare in their DEI initiatives, simply won’t attract women employees.
With mounting evidence that businesses with diverse workforces enjoy better outcomes, longer retention, and higher profits, companies need to stand up for reproductive healthcare or risk seriously hurting their bottom line.
Yet companies have been alarmingly quiet on the Texas abortion ban. It’s a controversial topic, of course. Are they hoping that both-sidesism or an apolitical stance will save them from the fallout?
It won’t.
The truth is, companies won’t speak up about it unless they’re pressured to. But as an employee, it’s in your power to turn up the heat.
Here are a few simple but effective ways to pressure your company to speak up:
Schedule a meeting with HR and ask to review your company’s reproductive health coverage. Ask specifically if abortion care is covered. Listen to the response. Tell your colleagues to do the same. The more people who ask, the more likely that HR will inform leadership that employees are concerned.
Ask how the company will ensure abortion access for employees working in states that pass abortion bans. You can ask in a private meeting with HR, or publicly at an all-hands with the CEO. No need to lecture or confront. Just ask.
Find like-minded colleagues who share your concerns, and submit a co-signed letter to leadership demanding the company speak out. Use the Tara Health Foundation’s excellent list of actions companies can take as a template.
Bring up the abortion ban at your budget meetings, your planning sessions, your project brainstorms. Frame it as a business problem, not an ideological one. Ask your teams to brainstorm how it can/should respond. Hot tip: Quote the data. Statistics are powerful, and they can help defuse the high emotions that often surround this conversation.
Join an employee resource group or affinity group at your company. Ask if they’re planning action or preparing a statement. Offer to help plan and organize.
Point out the actions other companies are taking, and ask how your company plans to contribute. Cite examples, such as:
Uber & Lyft have announced their intent to pay the legal fees incurred by any drivers who are sued for transporting patients to abortion providers.
Salesforce has announced it will pay to relocate any employees who wish to move out of Texas.
Bumble & Match are setting up funds to assist employees seeking abortion care out of state.
GoDaddy has shut down an anti-abortion website where people can report suspected abortions.
You can also take a look at Don’t Ban Equality, a coalition of justice organizations including Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. They supply an employee engagement toolkit to help you take action with colleagues, and a statement of solidarity that CEOs and business leaders can sign in support of reproductive freedom in Texas.
This might feel like a nuclear issue that will only divide people. And perhaps in the past, it was.
But times have changed. After all…
61% of Americans support first-trimester abortion – that’s up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, not six.
A whopping 86% of women say that controlling if and when they have children has been important to their careers.
24% of women have had an abortion by age 45.
Women who don’t have access to abortion care when they need it are three times more likely to be unemployed, and four times more likely to live below the poverty line.
This is an issue that affects everyone. It does not need to live in the shadows – and businesses can’t afford to let it, especially while it’s under attack.
Comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including abortion, is crucial to business success. Let’s push our employers to say so out loud, so the whole world can hear.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: REBECCA WEAVER
Rebecca Weaver is the Founder and CEO of HRuprise, a marketplace that connects people with HR coaches to help them grow, develop, and navigate their toughest workplace challenges. LEARN MORE
