MONTREAL — Scotiabank will pay travel costs for U.S.-based employees seeking abortions if they are located in states that restrict access to the procedure. It is one of a handful of major Canadian companies to expand their benefits after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled states could outlaw the practice.
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Scotiabank to cover travel costs for U.S. employees seeking abortions
Scotiabank will pay travel costs for U.S.-based employees seeking abortions if they are located in states that restrict access to the procedure. Photo: The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette
MONTREAL — Scotiabank will pay travel costs for U.S.-based employees seeking abortions if they are located in states that restrict access to the procedure. It is one of a handful of major Canadian companies to expand their benefits after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled states could outlaw the practice.
Talking Point
Scotiabank will pay travel costs for U.S.-based employees seeking abortions if they are located in states that restrict access to the procedure. The move by Canada’s third-largest bank makes it one of a growing number of major employers in the U.S. to expand abortion-related benefits for employees.
Canada’s third-largest bank joins major U.S. employers like Amazon, JPMorgan and Apple that plan to cover travel costs for employees. Scotiabank’s U.S. employees currently have access to abortion coverage under the company’s insurance plan, according to a memo sent Friday to all U.S. employees.
“Scotiabank would like to take this moment to acknowledge and reaffirm our commitment to supporting the health and safety of all employees and their families,” the memo says. “We will continue to support our employees while complying with all laws and regulations.”
After the Supreme Court’s decision Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade, a 1973 Supreme Court ruling that for decades had prevented abortion bans, a number of states immediately passed laws banning the prodedure. Those include Louisiana and Alabama, where abortions are now illegal with no exceptions for rape or incest. Others, like Ohio and Texas, have severely restricted access.
Canada’s biggest banks have a significant presence in the U.S., with corporate offices and a large network of in-person branches. Scotiabank employs 1,400 people in the U.S., according to spokesperson Katie Raskina.
Representatives for the other Big Five banks didn’t say whether they would change their policies. “RBC is committed to supporting the health and well-being of all our employees, and we are assessing the impact of this decision on the health-care options and benefits available to our U.S. colleagues,” RBC spokesperson Gillian McArdle said.
Two of Canada’s largest insurers, Sun Life Financial and Manulife Financial, are expanding abortion-related benefits for U.S. employees, according to The Globe and Mail.
In the wake of the court’s decision, some U.S. employers are adding benefits in addition to covering travel costs. Vox Media said it would expand its pregnancy-loss leave to cover people who get abortions, while Google told employees they could apply to relocate “without justification.”
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Photo: The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette
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