Google allows employees to relocate to states where abortion is legal

In light of the United States Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade and giving individual states the choice of banning or allowing abortions, Google on Friday notified its American employees that it will allow them to relocate to another state without explanation.

Google’s chief people officer, Fiona Cicconi, on Friday sent out a staff-wide memo reiterating that the company’s benefits plan and health insurance in US cover “out-of-state medical procedures that are not available where an employee lives and works.” In addition, Google workers can “apply for relocation without justification, and those overseeing this process will be aware of the situation.”

Google also will “keep working to make information on reproductive healthcare accessible across our products and continue our work to protect user privacy,” Cicconi added.

“This is a profound change for the country that deeply affects so many of us, especially women,” she wrote in the memo. “Please be mindful of what your co-workers may be feeling and, as always, treat each other with respect.”

Susan Wojcicki, CEO of Google-owned YouTube, tweeted on Friday: “As a CEO I recognize there are a spectrum of opinions on the SCOTUS ruling today. As a woman, it’s a devastating setback. I personally believe every woman should have a choice about how and when to become a mother. Reproductive rights are human rights.”

As a CEO I recognize there are a spectrum of opinions on the SCOTUS ruling today. As a woman, it’s a devastating setback. I personally believe every woman should have a choice about how and when to become a mother. Reproductive rights are human rights.

— Susan Wojcicki (@SusanWojcicki) June 24, 2022

With the landmark Supreme Court ruling, other media and tech companies including Meta, Amazon, Netflix, Apple, Disney, Comcast, Microsoft, Bumble, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and Condé Nast have said they will cover travel costs for employees who need an abortion.

Here’s the text of Google’s memo to its employees:

Hi everyone,

This morning the US Supreme Court issued a ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that rolls back Roe v. Wade.

This is a profound change for the country that deeply affects so many of us, especially women. Everyone will respond in their own way, whether that’s wanting space and time to process, speaking up, volunteering outside of work, not wanting to discuss it at all, or something else entirely. Please be mindful of what your co-workers may be feeling and, as always, treat each other with respect.

Equity is extraordinarily important to us as a company, and we share concerns about the impact this ruling will have on people’s health, lives, and careers. We will keep working to make information on reproductive healthcare accessible across our products and continue our work to protect user privacy.

To support Googlers and their dependents, our US benefits plan and health insurance covers out-of-state medical procedures that are not available where an employee lives and works. Googlers can also apply for relocation without justification, and those overseeing this process will be aware of the situation. If you need additional support, please connect 1:1 with a People Consultant via [link to internal tool redacted].

We will be arranging support sessions for Googlers in the US in the coming days. These will be posted to Googler News.

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