Salesforce CEO vowed to help employees relocate
Software company Salesforce has offered to relocate employees and their families out of Texas in the wake of the abortion law that recently took effect there. The Texas Heartbeat Act criminalises abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, during which a heartbeat can be detected from the womb. It also gives private citizens the power to sue individuals who helped in the abortion, including Uber drivers. A CNBC-obtained Salesforce message to employees said that leaders in the company will help staff if they have concerns over reproductive healthcare access in their state.
"We recognize and respect that we all have deeply held and different perspectives. As a company, we stand with all of our women at Salesforce and everywhere," the memo read. “With that being said, if you have concerns about access to reproductive healthcare in your state, Salesforce will help relocate you and members of your immediate family.”
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In a tweet following CNBC's story, Salesforce chief executive officer Marc Benioff reiterated the company's stand on giving their employees a voice.
"Ohana if you want to move we’ll help you exit TX. Your choice," Beinoff said.
Ohana if you want to move we’ll help you exit TX. Your choice.❤️https://t.co/y5IKpm5fNs
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) September 11, 2021
Companies have reacted in different ways following the implementation of the Texas Heartbeat Act. Ride-hailing companies Lyft and Uber said it will cover the legal fees of their drivers in case they get sued for driving abortion patients - an illegal action under the law.
"This law is incompatible with people’s basic rights to privacy, our community guidelines, the spirit of rideshare, and our values as a company," said Lyft in a statement.
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Dating application Bumble also announced that it will be creating a relief fund to help those affected by what it described as a "regressive" law.
Starting today, Bumble has created a relief fund supporting the reproductive rights of women and people across the gender spectrum who seek abortions in Texas.
— Bumble (@bumble) September 1, 2021
"Bumble is women-founded and women-led, and from day one we’ve stood up for the most vulnerable. We'll keep fighting against regressive laws like #SB8," it said in a follow-up tweet.
Bumble is women-founded and women-led, and from day one we’ve stood up for the most vulnerable. We'll keep fighting against regressive laws like #SB8.
— Bumble (@bumble) September 1, 2021
Match Group, which also owns dating companies like Tinder, Hinge, and OKCupid, also announced its creation of a fund to support Texas-based workers who will seek care outside the state. Shar Dubey, Match Group CEO, said in a memo to employees said that she could not "keep silent" in the implementation over what she said was a "highly punitive and unfair law."
"Surely everyone should see the danger of this highly punitive and unfair law that doesn’t even make an exception for victims of rape or incest. I would hate for our state to take this big step back in women’s rights," she said in the note quoted by CNBC.
