The Business Case for Why Companies Should Protect Workers’ Reproductive Health Access
There is a compelling body of evidence that shows why companies that protect their workers’ reproductive health will have a business advantage
While the majority of corporate leaders have been quiet on the topic of reproductive health, a lot has been happening behind the scenes inside of organizations as they grapple with how to navigate a new legal landscape and evaluate how it will impact the reproductive health of their workforces.
There is a compelling business case for leaders to put comprehensive strategies in place to protect their workforce’s reproductive health. Below we outline that business case focusing on four key components:
Women are an essential part of America’s workforce.
Since 1973 (the year Roe was decided), women’s participation in the workforce outside of the home has jumped from 43 percent to 57.4 percent. This 14 percent increase can be attributed to several factors including having access to abortion.
Women are America’s skilled labor - with more women obtaining college degrees than men, a trend that has increased over the past two decades. 46 percent of women now graduate from college compared with 36 percent of men.
Women represent 47 percent of the total workforce and make up a majority of workers in management, professional and related occupations.
86 percent of women say that controlling if and when to have children has been important to their careers.
The American economy depends on women as critical human capital. Without women’s ability to participate fully in the labor force, businesses will struggle with their ability to hire and retain qualified talent.
2. Reproductive health care is essential. Abortion is common.
There are about 6 million pregnancies in the U.S. each year, half of which are unplanned. There are roughly 3.6 million births in the U.S. each year - in other words, nearly 35% of pregnancies do not result in a birth.
On average, there are about 1 million abortions in the U.S. and 1.1 million reported miscarriages. Miscarriages often require a therapeutic abortion to protect the health of the pregnant person.
1 in 4 women of childbearing age have had an abortion; this also means that roughly 1 in 4 men have been directly impacted by an abortion.
Only 8 percent of Americans support full restriction to abortion access; 85 percent of Americans believe abortion should be safe and legal in some or all circumstances.
Reproductive health and abortion access are common, safe, and necessary in many cases of miscarriage or health risks of the woman. Recognition of the importance of this fundamental health service is highlighted by overwhelming public support for access to safe and legal abortion services. Anti-abortion positions are not mainstream; they are a minority opinion.
3. Limiting access to reproductive health services - including abortion - has a signficant economic impact on individuals and the economy.
50 percent of Americans get health insurance through their employer which means that half of Americans are now dependent on their employer to codify benefits that will cover access to reproductive health benefits. The lowest paid workers in America often can not afford employer-sponsored plans and are instead covered by Medicaid. In reproductive restrictive states, Medicaid does not cover abortion services.
State-level abortion restrictions cost state economies $105 billion per year by reducing workforce participation, earnings and increasing turnover and time off from work for women aged 15-44
Women who are not able to access abortion when pregnant are 3 times more likely to have left the workforce 6 months later than women with access to abortion services. Women are also more likely to live in poverty after not having access to abortion.
Young men whose partners are able to access abortion are 15 percent more likely to graduate from college and experience higher income earnings as a result of their ability to stay in school.
Having access to reproductive health services provides quantifiable economic benefits to women, men and the overall economy through increased participation and productivity. Businesses have an opportunity to avoid these negative impacts by putting provisions in place to protect access to reproductive health services for their workforces.
4. Workers want their employers to protect their reproductive health and they are increasingly frustrated by employers that have taken no meaningful steps to do so.
A majority of workers say they would not accept a job in a state that has recently banned abortion. Younger professionals respond affirmatively at even higher rates.
Since the Dodds ruling, 32 percent of job seekers - men and women - will not apply for a job in an repro-restrictive state.
Since the Dodds ruling, 27 percent of job seekers based in repro-restrictive states are only applying for jobs in pro-repro states.
30% of workers are considering leaving their jobs due to their employer’s lack of response on reproductive health access.
52 percent of workers age 18-34 believe their companies aren’t doing enough to help workers get the reproductive health access they need.
Data shows that workers - especially younger talent - have a strong preference for working for a company that will protect their reproductive health access. Data shows that workers in reproductive-restrictive states are seeking to relocate to pro-reproductive states. Over time, these trends will reward companies that have put benefits in place to protect reproductive health through talent acquisition and retention. Companies that do not provide such protections will see increased turnover and have a harder time hiring top talent.
The solution?
Gender IDEAL’s Pro Repro Playbook outlines what benefits a company should provide to protect workers reproductive health, with a focus on ensuring that benefits are accessible to all workers - not just full-time, salaried employees on the company’s health plan. These protections tend to pay for themselves - none of the companies surveyed by RHIA Ventures noted that costs exceeded the benefit of these policies. Download the Pro Repro Playbook and contact us to schedule a call to learn more.