Tesla is covering transportation costs for employees to get out-of-state abortions, joining the likes of Citigroup and Yelp as various state regulations have limited access to abortion.
The company said in its 2021 impact report, released on Friday, that it had begun offering “travel and lodging support for those who may need to seek healthcare services that are unavailable in their home state” last year.
Texas, where Tesla is based, has some of the country’s most restrictive abortion laws. Last year the state banned the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy. In Congress, some lawmakers are already threatening actions against companies that offer such benefits, including Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida.
Tesla’s other fertility benefits include I.V.F. and egg freezing, as well as up to $25,000 for both adoption and surrogacy. Tesla offers 16 weeks of paid family leave.
Since a draft opinion obtained by Politico and published on Monday showed the Supreme Court’s intention to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the Court confirmed its veracity, companies have been relatively quiet.
Other companies with employees in Texas have offered to pay for transportation costs or help in other ways; some have spoken out directly about their belief in access to abortion care.
Citigroup disclosed in March that it was covering travel for employees seeking abortions outside their home state. Some 8,500 employees work for Citigroup in Texas. Yelp, which has just over 200 employees in Texas, announced in April that it would cover expenses for workers who needed to travel out of state for abortions.
