Report: Nearly Half of Job Seekers Would Not Work at a Company That Does Not Offer Abortion Care Assistance

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24th is fueling public dissent with the majority of Americans disagreeing with the decision. To better understand how the ruling will affect the workplace, Indeed conducted a survey of 1,011 Americans with the hope of monitoring the evolution of perspectives regarding abortion care in the Dobbs era over time—to that end, we will be updating this article periodically with new data.

Currently, 89% of people surveyed say it is important to them that their company offers reproductive health benefits. Though it is difficult to know exactly how much the statistics surrounding reproductive health in the workplace have changed since the recent ruling, our findings suggest that the changes are significant. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is impacting job search and some employers are making changes in response to the ruling while others are not. Keep reading to learn more about finding the right company for you.

4 out of 10 employees report the addition of abortion care assistance to their benefits since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade

43% of the people surveyed said their company has announced the addition of abortion care assistance to their benefits package—an impressive increase considering that prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling only 17% reported having access to that benefit. Of the employees who have reported this addition to their benefits:

• 73% said their new benefits include financial assistance for abortion care services. 

• 63% said their companies have provided actionable steps for how employees can leverage the new policy.

• 60% said their new benefits provide financial assistance for travel expenses. 

• 54% said abortion care assistance is provided to full-time employees only.

• 32% said their new benefits cover time off to receive care. 

With a sizable percentage of the people surveyed reporting access to new reproductive health benefits, companies are navigating new and complicated territory. The health and privacy of employees is at stake and our survey suggests that for many employees the processes currently in place to access their newly added benefits may put both at risk. 

Related: Companies Expand Health Care Coverage to Include Abortion-Related Expenses

Additional work is needed to ensure employees can safely and privately access abortion care assistance benefits

Privacy is an integral component of health care—it is why laws like HIPAA exist, which is designed to protect sensitive patient health information. Yet 82% of the people surveyed who have access to abortion care assistance through their employment stated that their program requires that they disclose their abortion needs to their direct manager. And while 84% of those required to disclose their needs to their manager said they wouldn’t mind sharing the information in exchange for support, the implications are clear.

Potential breaches in information, conflict of interests and even legal ramifications are possible consequences of such policies and those consequences may inhibit employees from getting the care they need. Employees with access to abortion care benefits report the following:

• 82% said their company requires them to disclose their abortion needs to their direct manager.

• 15% of the percentage who are required to disclose abortion needs to their direct manager said they would not feel comfortable sharing that information, and of that percentage, 2% said they would be unlikely to leverage the policy as a result.

• 74% said they are worried about their privacy if they choose to utilize their company’s policy.

• 72% said they are concerned about the legal implications of using their company’s policy.

Despite the issues surrounding the current abortion care assistance policies that many companies have put into place, most employees consider a lack of action to be a far greater cause for concern. Companies that have declined to expand their reproductive health package are likely to see higher turnover rates and smaller application pools.

Related: A Guide to Talking to Employers About Abortion-travel Benefits

Access to abortion care assistance is likely to become a major factor when choosing employment

The way that companies have responded to the recent Supreme Court ruling is already informing their employee’s longevity within their company. Of the 43% of employees who have acquired abortion care assistance benefits since the recent ruling, more than eight in ten people surveyed (84%) said if their company had not added abortion care assistance they would have considered leaving, and 70% said they would like to stay longer at their company now due to the addition of abortion care assistance.

Additionally, almost half of the people surveyed now consider abortion care assistance to be a crucial benefit when determining where they would like to be employed.

• 47% of people surveyed would not work at a company that does not offer abortion care assistance.

• 43% would consider leaving their company for one that offers abortion assistance.

• 41% agreed that after the ruling they would not work at a company that does not offer abortion care assistance.

• 38% are considering looking for a new job where abortion care assistance is offered.

• 38% are currently considering moving to a new state because of the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade.

It is clear that companies who offer abortion care benefits may have an edge in retaining and acquiring employees but surprisingly 71% of companies who have added abortion care assistance programs have only announced the addition internally.

The companies who are avoiding making a public statement against the Supreme Court’s recent decision could be doing so to avoid political backlash, but our findings suggest that they may be missing out on an opportunity to connect with current and potential employees.

The majority of employees approve of their company’s opposition to the overturn of Roe v. Wade

In line with the majority of the country that disagrees with the recent Supreme Court ruling, most employees surveyed applaud their company for publicly announcing their objection to the ruling as well. In the Dobbs era, companies have an opportunity to leverage their power to safeguard reproductive rights, especially for employees living in states with stricter regulations.

Our findings suggest that the companies that choose to expand their reproductive benefits to include abortion care assistance will be rewarded with more loyal employees and bigger applicant pools.

• 88% said that their company had made a statement in opposition to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and of that percentage 82% said they were satisfied with the statement made.

• 86% believe that their company’s statement will have a positive impact on attracting new talent.

• 85% believe that their company’s statement will have a positive impact on retention.

1. Indeed-commissioned survey, conducted by Kickstand Communications, where n=1,011 people 18 or older who live in the United States and are aware of the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Those surveyed are also currently employed full time.