US business worried after abortion ruling

• Executives are caught between their fear of reprisals and employees’ reliance on employer-provided health care.
• Decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked to Politico in April, giving firms ample time to prepare.
• Firms including Bank of America have labelled the topic of abortion “fraught” or “tough”.

The Supreme Court’s revocation of the constitutional right to an abortion has presented business executives with an immediate challenge, caught between their fear of reprisals for taking a stance on a divisive issue and their employees’ reliance on employer-provided health care.

“The ultimate result is chaos for employers that typically operate in multiple states,” said Jen Stark, co-director of the centre for business and social justice at BSR, which advises corporations on their social duties.

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The draught decision to overturn the 1973 Roe vs. Wade verdict was leaked to Politico in April, giving executives ample time to prepare for Friday’s bombshell. However, few executives reacted publicly to the news, despite having had weeks to prepare.

Michael Bloomberg, the founder of the namesake financial data firm, referred to the verdict as “the worst attack on the rights of American women in generations,” while Danny Meyer, CEO of Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group, condemned it as “appalling and unfathomable.”

Several firms have indicated in recent weeks that they will attempt to avoid making such public statements, citing polls indicating that a loud minority of Americans continue to oppose abortion.

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One-third of Americans supported repealing Roe v. Wade, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey conducted last month, while firms ranging from Bank of America to Levi Strauss have labelled the topic of abortion as “fraught” or “tough.”

As one top CEO told the Financial Times prior to the Supreme Court’s confirmation of the verdict’s leak, the majority of large corporations instead intend to respond with “competitive pay and benefits.”