Companies offer employees abortion support, Starbucks offers new benefits to non-union workers, and more

Hi there, comms connoisseurs.

Let’s explore some notable stories from May 3-6, 2022 — and pull out a few timely, tactical takeaways along the way:

1. Internal comms pros grapple with the end of Roe

This week, Politico reported that it obtained a leaked draft of the Supreme Court’s opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade. Should the decision be made official later this year, state legislatures will be able to decide for themselves whether abortion will be legal in their state.

Ragan’s Emma Atkinson reports:

Internal communicators that decide to engage with this issue will consider how their messaging about employee assistance around abortion and related reproductive health needs can also be used as external comms for their organizations. Some companies have already taken an explicit stance in favor of abortion rights, while others are more focused on fulfilling the health benefits they have promised to their employees.

(Maven founder and CEO Kate) Ryder wrote that women’s health and reproductive care — including access to safe abortion — is central to her company’s mission.