As a result, Google has informed its US employees that they can relocate to states where abortion is legal so that they can continue working for the company
Employees in the United States who want to relocate to a state where abortion is legal can do so, according to Google
Google has informed its American employees that they will be able to relocate to another state without any questions asked in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade, which eliminates the constitutional right to abortion.
"Out-of-state medical procedures that are not available where an employee lives and works" are covered by Google's US benefits plan and health insurance, Fiona Cicconi, the internet company's chief people officer, wrote in a memo on Friday. This means that, in addition to having the option of relocating "without justification," Google employees can also "apply for relocation without justification."
Moreover, Cicconi wrote, Google will "continue working to make information on reproductive healthcare accessible across our products and to continue our work to protect user privacy."
For the country and for so many of us, especially women, this is a significant shift, she wrote in the memo. It is important to be aware of how your coworkers are feeling and to treat them with respect at all times.
Many other media and tech companies have pledged to cover employees' travel expenses if they need to travel outside their home state to receive reproductive healthcare services following the Supreme Court's landmark decision, including Meta, Amazon, Netflix, Apple, Disney... Warner Bros. Discovery and Condé Nast.
Among the 29 U.S. offices listed by Google are four in states where abortions are currently illegal or where restrictions on or bans on abortion are likely to take effect soon, namely Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin. According to the New York Times, about half of the states in the United States are expected to reverse Roe v. Wade's anti-abortion policies. California is home to a large portion of Google's U.S. workforce, where abortion rights are fully protected.
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Google has not commented on the Roe v. Wade decision publicly. When it comes to today's Supreme Court decision, CEO Susan Wojcicki of Google-owned YouTube acknowledged that there are many different points of view. It's a humiliating setback for a woman. Every woman should be able to choose how and when she wants to become a mother, in my opinion. Rights to a healthy and safe reproductive system are fundamental human rights."
According to a copy obtained by the Verge, the following is what Google's Cicconi wrote in his memo:
Roe v. Wade has been overturned by the US Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which was handed down this morning.
Many of us, especially women, will feel the effects of this major shift in the country. Everyone will react in their own way, whether they want time and space to process, speak up, volunteer outside of work, or not want to talk about it at all. Everyone will respond in their own way. Respect your coworkers' feelings and be considerate of one another at all times.
This ruling has a significant impact on people's health, lives, and careers, and we're concerned about the implications for our company. We'll keep working to make reproductive healthcare information readily available across our products and to safeguard the privacy of our customers.
Benefit plans and health insurance for Googlers in the United States include coverage for medical procedures performed outside of the state where an employee resides or works. Googlers can also apply for relocation without justification, and those in charge of the process will be aware of this. A People Consultant is available via [link to internal tool redacted] if you have additional questions or concerns.
Soon, Googlers in the United States will be able to get help from Googlers all over the world. These will be published to Googler News as well.
Please don't be afraid to ask for help from the Google community in the days to come, and remember to look out for one another.
News Source: https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/google-employees-abortion-rights-relocate-1235303248/
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