Starbucks to cover travel for workers seeking abortions
Starbucks will pay travel expenses for workers accessing abortion or gender-affirming procedures when those services are not available closer to home.
Starbucks says it will offer employees enrolled in its healthcare plan reimbursement for eligible travel expenses to access abortion or gender-affirming procedures when those services are not available within 100 miles of a worker’s home.
The Seattle-based coffee chain said Monday that the benefit would also be available to dependents of employees enrolled in its healthcare coverage.
More companies are detailing their benefits on abortion care after the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would abolish a nationwide right to abortion.
“Regardless of what the Supreme Court ends up deciding, we will always ensure our partners have access to quality health care,” Sara Kelly, Starbucks acting executive vice president of partner resources, wrote in a letter.
Last year more than 60 companies signed a letter in response to a Texas law that in effect bans abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. Among others, jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co., the online reviews site Yelp, banking giant Citigroup and ride-hailing company Lyft pledged to cover travel costs for employees who have to travel long distances to access abortion services.
Earlier this month, Tesla said it would cover travel costs for employees seeking out-of-state abortions.
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