In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision Friday overturning Roe v. Wade, which eliminates the constitutional right to abortion, Google has notified American employees that it will allow them to relocate to another state — no questions asked.
In an email obtained by The Verge, the company’s chief people officer, Fiona Cicconi, said workers could “apply for relocation without justification,” and that those managing the requests would be “aware of the situation.” Cicconi also reminded workers Google’s employee benefits plan covers medical procedures that aren’t available in the state where they live and work.
“This is a profound change for the country that deeply affects so many of us, especially women,” Cicconi says in the email. “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.”
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.
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.”
