Nappy maker to pay travel fees for US staff seeking abortions

PAMPERS nappies owner Procter & Gamble has joined the growing list of American companies vowing to cover travel costs for employees seeking abortions after the US Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v Wade.

The company, which is headquartered in Ohio where abortion is now illegal, has told staff that from 2023 it will cover travel expenses for “medical care when a provider is not available within a 50-mile radius”.

It is the latest US company to reassure staff in recent days that travel costs for those living in states with restrictive abortion laws will be covered if they want to end a pregnancy.

Last week’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade ruling, which enshrined the right to abortion half a century ago, is expected to pave the way for about half of the 50 US states to ban or heavily restrict abortion.

Major US corporations have been preparing for the landmark Roe v Wade ruling to be overturned for months, with Disney, JP Morgan, Citigroup, Apple and Amazon among those to have vowed to help cover travel costs.

Citigroup, the world’s largest credit card issuer, earlier this year faced a backlash from Republicans who wanted the US government to end all ties with the bank as a result of its promise to pay for staff abortion costs.

Representative Mike Johnson and more than 40 other members of Congress demanded that Citigroup’s contract with the government be cancelled.

“By offering to pay its employees in their efforts to terminate the lives of the unborn, Citi has forfeited its privilege of doing business with the House of Representatives,” a letter sent to house chief administrative officer Catherine Szpindor read.