Dick's Sporting Goods will cover $4,000 in travel expenses for employees seeking abortions

Dick’s Sporting Goods has announced it will provide up to $4,000 in travel expenses to its workers who need to go out of state to access abortion care. The decision was announced by the president and CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods Lauren Hobart in a LinkedIn post on the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Hobart said the benefit will be available to spouses, dependents and a “support person.” The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to overturn Roe v. Wade, the judgment that affirmed the legality of a person’s right to have an abortion under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. This will force many to travel to other states to get an abortion. “Today, the Supreme Court announced a decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, removing the federal right to an abortion and leaving the decision up to each state,” wrote Hobart. “While we do not know what decision each state will make in response to this ruling, we at DICK’S Sporting Goods are prepared to ensure that all of our teammates have consistent and safe access to the benefits we provide, regardless of the state in which they live,” reported God.DailyDot. Many companies followed suit, offering travel costs to their employees to access abortion care.

Dick’s Sporting Goods' CEO said the company's reimbursement offer is available for anyone who lives in a state where abortion is made illegal following the Supreme Court decision. Many states led by conservative governments already have restrictive abortion laws in place, with 13 of them containing “trigger laws” that would make abortion be either completely illegal or extremely restricted as soon as the court overturned Roe v. Wade. "We are making this decision so our teammates can access the same health care options, regardless of where they live, and choose what is best for them,” wrote Hobart.

Some of the other companies that made promises to cover travel costs for abortion care include Microsoft, Yelp, Starbucks, Bumble, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Apple, Netflix and Amazon. Microsoft announced financial support for "critical healthcare," including abortions and gender-affirming care, to include coverage for travel expenses for such services. A Bumble spokesperson announced the company would donate to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and Planned Parenthood Federation of America, reported CNN Business. "Abortion is healthcare, and healthcare is a human right. We are deeply troubled by the Supreme Court decision," said the spokesperson. 

“We will continue to provide benefits that support our colleagues’ family planning choices wherever we are legally permitted to do so,” wrote Citi’s head of human resources, Sara Wechter, in a memo to employees after the ruling was announced, reported The Guardian. Nike announced that it would covers travel and lodging expenses if abortion care wasn't accessible nearby. "No matter where our teammates are on their family planning journey — from contraception and abortion coverage to pregnancy and family-building support through fertility, surrogacy and adoption benefits — we are here to support their decisions," the statement reads.

Pro-choice Guttmacher Institute stated that abortion bans and restrictions don’t in any way reduce unintended pregnancies or demand for abortion but would rather create hurdles and stress for those seeking abortion care, especially for minorities. “The US Supreme Court has taken the radical step of overturning Roe v. Wade outright, thus unleashing uncertainty and harm onto people asking for nothing more than to exercise their fundamental right to bodily autonomy, said institute president Dr. Herminia Palacio in a statement. “Evidence also shows the disproportionate and unequal impact abortion restrictions have on people who are already marginalized and oppressed — including Black and Brown communities, other people of color, people with low incomes, young people, LGBTQ communities, immigrants, and people with disabilities.”