Salesforce, a software company specializing in cloud-based technology, has offered to relocate employees and their families if they do not have access to reproductive care services.
In a message on Slack, the company said that issues directly impacting the staff, especially the women, should be addressed. Though Salesforce did not specifically mention the Texas abortion law, the memo came out following the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against the state's prohibitive mandate on women's reproductive health.
"We recognize and respect that we all have deeply held and different perspectives," the company stated. "As a company, we stand with all of our women at Salesforce and everywhere."
Salesforce has over 1,000 workers in its Uptown Dallas office. CEO Marc Benioff also personally retweeted a link to the new abortion law in Texas and directly addressed his work family who may need help in leaving the state.
Ohana if you want to move we’ll help you exit TX. Your choice.❤️https://t.co/y5IKpm5fNs
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) September 11, 2021
The Texas abortion law or Senate Bill 8 (SB8) bans almost 85 percent of abortion procedures from the sixth week of pregnancy. It has also deputized citizens, not state officials, from carrying out lawsuits against the women and the people or providers who have helped them with the abortion.
Other Companies Offering Support
It's not just Salesforce that has extended their support for workers who may be legally liable for the Texas abortion law. Uber and Lyft also announced that they would cover 100 percent of the legal costs of drivers who could be sued if they help Texas women get an abortion.
Lyft CEO Logan Green said they are establishing a "driver legal defense fund" and donating money to Planned Parenthood so that transportation won't be a barrier to better healthcare. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi followed Lyft's lead and offered to shoulder the drivers' legal fees as well, should they find themselves in court over abortion.
Dating sites Bumble and Match Group, the owner of Tinder, have created a relief fund for its female Texas workers who may need to get an abortion outside of the state. In a memo to the staff, Match Group's CEO Shar Dubey said she doesn't usually take a political stand for the business, but she can't keep quiet over this issue as a Texas woman. She noted that Texas's new law is "highly punitive and unfair" as there are no exceptions even for pregnancies resulting from incest or rape.
Injunction Sought to Stop Enforcement
The law took effect on September 1, 2021, after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill in May. The Supreme Court decided not to block the enforcement, but the Justice Department filed for an injunction on September 8.
The Texas abortion law comes under heavy scrutiny because the sixth week of pregnancy is still too soon for the mother to know that she may be pregnant. States with abortions usually impose a 20th to 24th pregnancy week cut-off.
Concerns about the law's impact also stem from the fact that individuals and groups may also target providers, pro-life activists, or the friends and family members of the women. Planned Parenthood said their patients are getting more scared and confused as access to reproductive health care in Texas has been curtailed. They said that this problem would lead to abandonment, abuses, and unplanned trips to emergency hospitals.
