Starbucks will reimburse employees for travel expenses related to seeking abortions or gender-affirming procedures, the company announced this week.
The move was announced via a letter to Starbucks partners from Sara Kelly, who currently serves as the company’s acting executive vice president of partner resources. As the Associated Press noted in its report, the Seattle-headquartered coffee chain is now among the biggest companies to have announced such measures.
“Like many of you, I’m deeply concerned by the draft Supreme Court opinion related to the constitutional right to abortion that was first established by Roe v. Wade,” Kelly said Monday. “I know this is weighing on many of you, so let me be clear up front—regardless of what the Supreme Court ends up deciding, we will always ensure our partners have access to quality healthcare.”
Per Kelly, partners enrolled in the Starbucks healthcare program will be reimbursed for travel expenses accrued from seeking these services when such services are not available within 100 miles of the individual’s residence. Dependents will also be eligible to make use of this newly added benefit.
Head here to read the full letter. Starbucks is expected to announce additional details regarding an expansion of healthcare benefits soon. Similar measures in response to the Supreme Court draft opinion have previously been announced by companies including Tesla, Amazon, and others.
For those who may be seeking help in accessing abortion services in their area, resources are available. The National Network of Abortion Funds, for example, maintains a running list of state-by-state options for organizations who can offer various forms of support for those in need of assistance.
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