Levi Strauss to reimburse abortion travel for employees
2022.05.04 20:01
The signage of Levi Strauss & Co. store is seen at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, U.S., February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
(Reuters) – Levi Strauss & Co (NYSE:LEVI) said on Wednesday it will reimburse travel expenses for its full- and part-time employees who need to travel to another state for health care services, including abortions.
The apparel company best known for its jeans is the latest U.S. company to offer the benefit as various states clamp down on access to abortions.
And now, the U.S. Supreme Court looks set to vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a leaked initial draft majority opinion published by Politico on Monday.
“Given what is at stake, business leaders need to make their voices heard and act to protect the health and well-being of our employees. That means protecting reproductive rights,” the company said in a statement.
Other companies have pledged to offer similar support to their U.S. employees who need to travel out of states like Texas and Oklahoma that have restricted access to abortion services.
Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN), the second-largest U.S. private employer, on Monday told employees it will pay up to $4,000 in travel expenses yearly for non-life threatening medical treatments, among them elective abortions.
Crowd-sourced review platform Yelp (NYSE:YELP), Inc said it will start in May to cover expenses for its employees and their dependents who need to travel to another state for abortion services starting next month.
Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) became in March the first major U.S. bank to make a similar commitment.
