06-05-2025
Workers Want Companies To Keep Fighting For Reproductive Rights
New research finds that more than half of employed adults in the U.S. believe that companies should ... More speak out in support of reproductive rights. Corporate engagement on reproductive rights may include legislative advocacy, public statements and offering competitive reproductive health benefits. getty
It's been nearly three years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned women's constitutional right to abortion in the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision. In the immediate wake of Dobbs, many companies issued public statements condemning the decision and committing their support for abortion access. Since then, business leaders have become less outspoken about reproductive rights.
Corporate leaders are understandably focused on other critical issues, including tariffs, the economy, and concerted attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion. But new research finds that many workers are eager to see renewed corporate action on reproductive rights.
The data highlights the need for companies to 'act externally to support reproductive healthcare access,' said Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, in an April 7, 2025 op-ed. 'Companies that stay silent risk losing talent to competitors that don't.'
More than half of employed adults believe that companies should speak out in support of reproductive rights, according to data from a survey of 10,000 adults in a 2025 report from the Institute for Women's Policy Research, conducted with Morning Consult and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
This finding is consistent with shifting worker expectations about the corporate role in society. Among working adults, 60% say large companies should take a stand on important societal issues, according to JUST Capital's 2024 Americans' Views on Business Survey, based on over 3,000 responses.
This expectation largely crosses political affiliation lines. The desire for large companies to take a stand on social issues was endorsed by 73% of employees identifying as liberal, 62% of moderates and 47% of conservatives.
Employees particularly want corporate leaders to take action in support of women's equality and abortion access. Three out of four respondents in JUST Capital's survey agreed that corporate leaders have a role to play in advancing gender equity in the workplace, and 53% said this role includes upholding reproductive rights.
When asked about corporate activism, 72% of workers said that it was extremely or very important that their employers support women's health, in Mercer's Health on Demand 2023 report, based on a global survey of 17,532 employees. Support for women's health was a top priority for both women and men, second only to support for living wages.
The desire for companies to take a stand on social issues is particularly high among well-educated workers. Over two thirds of college-educated adults ages 18 to 64 said it was important that their company take a stand on social issues, in a 2022 Perry Undem report based on a survey of 3,464 individuals.
Among those highly educated workers, 69% said specifically that access to reproductive health care, including abortion, should be among the issues that companies address around gender equity efforts in the workplace.
'A growing number of stakeholders are increasingly calling on corporations to take stands on social issues—and reproductive health is no exception,' concluded researchers in a 2022 Rhia Ventures report on the business case for reproductive health. 'While many companies may feel removed from the reproductive health conversation today, expectations have changed.' Reproductive Rights Are A Business Issue
'Businesses cannot succeed without the labor force contributions of women, and access to contraception and abortion is a major factor supporting women's labor rate participation,' said Shelley Alpern, Director of Corporate Engagement at Rhia Ventures, via email.
Among the nearly 49.5 million prime working-age women in the U.S., nearly half live in states with severe abortion restrictions, including 17.6 million in states with total abortion bans, according to 2024 IWPR data.
'Companies also need to think about the broader economic implications,' said Alpern. 'The Institute for Women's Policy research estimates that states with abortion bans or extreme restrictions cost the national economy $61 billion in 2023 alone.'
Companies also face increasing talent shortages in states with abortion bans and severe restrictions. Out-of-state workers refuse to take jobs in abortion ban states, and in-state workers are relocating to states with stronger reproductive rights, according to 2024 IWPR data. State abortion bans are particularly driving away young workers, highly educated workers, and workers who plan to have children in the next 10 years.
'As talent moves to less-restrictive states, companies may struggle to compete,' said Northup. 'To remain competitive, companies must show employees they have their back.' How Can Companies Support Reproductive Rights?
Research and advocacy organizations have identified a variety of effective strategies for corporate engagement on reproductive rights. 1. Advocate for reproductive rights law and policy
'The research shows that most employees want their companies to be engaging with lawmakers for better reproductive healthcare access,' said Julia Taylor Kennedy, Senior Director at the Center for Reproductive Rights, via email.
The majority of employed adults (56%) believe that companies should work with lawmakers to protect access to reproductive health care in states where they operate, according to the 2025 IWPR report. More than two in five employed adults (43%) report being more likely to work for a company that actively engages in legislative efforts to protect abortion access.
Support for corporate legislative advocacy to protect reproductive rights is even higher among employees who are planning to have children soon (65%), employees likely to relocate for work (61%) and employees ages 18 to 34 (59%).
'For businesses operating in restrictive states, there is a clear message: Employees expect businesses to not only provide reproductive health care benefits but also to stand up for these rights at a policy level,' the IWPR researchers concluded.
Corporate legislative advocacy can occur at the federal or state level. Engagement may include educating lawmakers about the negative business impacts of reproductive health care restrictions, writing testimony letters for congressional hearings or submitting public comments on proposed regulatory changes.
Business leaders 'must convey to lawmakers—privately, if they cannot publicly—that households, communities, businesses and the economy as a whole all need more access to reproductive and maternal healthcare, not less,' said Alpern. 2. Publicly support reproductive rights
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, more than 1,000 businesses of all sizes, across all 50 states, have signed the Don't Ban Equality pledge declaring that abortion access is a core business issue. This coalition provides resources for other companies that want to take a stand to support reproductive rights.
Organizations can join amicus briefs to support litigation aimed at restoring reproductive rights. Business leaders can write op-eds, speak at conferences, do interviews, or join public campaigns advocating for reproductive health access. Companies can also support or partner with legal or health organizations that are advocating for reproductive health care. 'There's safety in numbers and a lot to do,' said Northup.
The researchers at Rhia Ventures also encourage business leaders to audit whether their corporate political spending may be indirectly promoting restrictions on reproductive health care. Nearly two in five employed adults (38%) say they are less likely to work for companies that donate to politicians working to restrict abortion access, according to the 2025 IWPR report. 3. Offer (and publicize) reproductive health benefits
Providing comprehensive reproductive health benefits is a tangible way for companies to demonstrate commitment to reproductive rights. Reproductive health benefits encompass a range of employer-provided support for employees' family planning and women's health needs, including contraceptive coverage and abortion services. Some employers offer paid time off and cover travel costs for employees who must leave their own state to access abortion care.
Data supports a strong return on investment for employee reproductive health benefits. Companies have reported a competitive advantage in attracting, supporting, and retaining talent.
Three quarters of the U.S. labor force ages 18 to 64 want their employer's health insurance to cover the full range of reproductive healthcare, including abortion, according to the 2022 Perry Undem report. That includes 80% of women, as well as 75% of men ages 18 to 44.
Nationwide, about 45% of employed adults say they would be more likely to apply for or accept a job if the employer provided reproductive health benefits, while only one in 10 say they would be less likely to do so, according to the 2025 IWPR report. Among workers likely to have children in the next 10 years, 57% say they are more inclined to apply for or accept a job with reproductive health benefits.
Companies should 'insure abortion without exception, and reimburse for out of state travel to obtain abortion care,' said Alpern. 'They need to cover, without cost, every form of contraception in addition to what's already covered by the Affordable Care Act.'
Companies can benchmark their reproductive health benefits and identify best practices with the free diagnostic survey and resources from Reproductive & Maternal Health Compass. Companies can publicize their offerings in Rhia Ventures' #WhatAreYourReproBenefits online database, which currently includes over 300 private sector employers.
