SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yelp will cover the travel expenses of employees who must travel out of state for abortions, joining the ranks of major employers trying to help workers affected by restrictions in Texas and other states.
The benefit announced Tuesday covers all 4,000 employees at the online review service, but seems most likely to have its biggest immediate impact on its 200 workers in Texas, which has passed a law banning abortions within the state after six weeks of pregnancy.
New York's Citigroup recently disclosed plans to do the same for its more than 200,000 employees, 8,000 of them in Texas.
Uber and Lyft are paying the legal fees for drivers who could get sued under the new Texas law for transporting passengers to clinics.
The benefits come at a time when numerous states are restricting abortion rights. On Tuesday, Oklahoma's governor signed a bill into law that makes it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The only exception is an abortion to save the life of the mother.