In the wake of tightening legislation around abortion and IVF, organizations are struggling to figure out the best way to respond. And if they don't find a solution soon, employees are ready to take drastic action, by leaving their companies, or even their state to find the support they want.
One in five workers are unlikely to consider a job offer in a state with a highly restrictive abortion policy, according to a recent report from resume template platform Resume Builder. In fact, one third of pro-choice workers in states with the most restrictive abortion laws are already considering leaving — and the repercussions could end up affecting companies' ability to retain talent.
"Throughout our history, all the power was basically on the employer side," says Stacie Haller, chief career adviser at Resume Builder. "But the old rules don't always apply anymore. Employees are taking a greater stance on their needs and what they need to actualize them, and it's only the progressive companies that will join them and get on board."
Read more: What abortion bans in Arizona and Florida mean for employers and families
It's not just abortion restrictions employees care about, according to Resume Builder's findings; it's access to all reproductive care. Thirty percent of employees are unlikely to work in a state that passes legislation effectively banning IVF and 14% of workers are likely to leave their state to work elsewhere if legislation effectively banning IVF passed. While 11% of companies — including household names like Apple and Tesla — are now implementing travel and lodging benefits for abortions, according to a 2022 study from Mercer, it's not enough.
"When their people start leaving or they're not attracting the same amount of talent, that's when they're actually going to start paying attention," Haller says. "Employees have a lot more choices for when and where they want to work now; they don't have to settle."
Accommodations for abortion care have recently been added under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which previously guaranteed time off for pregnancy-related medical conditions like miscarriages, stillbirths and lactation. While the ruling doesn't force employers to cover abortion in healthcare plans or require that associated time off is paid, it does aim to make abortion more accessible at the federal level. However, organizations could still be playing a bigger part, Haller says.
Read more: Maven expands family-building benefits with conception support
"Companies should be responding to the government and reminding them that they can't run an organization and deliver benefits that their employees need with these kinds of restrictions," she says. "They shouldn't be quiet about their inability to provide health care to their employees."
In addition, organizations should be thinking beyond just travel benefits when it comes to supporting employees internally. For example, organizations with locations in states where healthcare is not restricted for women may want to consider moving employees to those offices if they're able, or help with relocation costs, Haller says. If they haven't already, companies can also consider opening up their remote work policies for folks in states where abortion is restricted so they can move at their own discretion.
"The bottom line is that prioritizing access to reproductive care is just as much about meeting the needs of organizations as it is about meeting the needs of employees," Haller says. "There is a shrinking market of people who want to work for companies that don't prioritize their rights."
