Citigroup has began overlaying journey bills for workers who exit of state for abortions due to newly enacted restrictions in Texas and different locations, changing into the primary main US financial institution to make that dedication.
The brand new coverage is “in response to modifications in reproductive healthcare legal guidelines in sure states within the US,” the financial institution mentioned late on Tuesday in a public submitting forward of its annual shareholders assembly in April.
The submitting mentioned the journey advantages are “to facilitate entry to ample sources” and didn’t particularly point out abortion.
Citi will cowl transportation and lodging for workers who want to go away states akin to Texas for abortions, in keeping with an individual accustomed to the matter.
Citi has taken stances on controversial points earlier than, together with in 2018 when it enacted restrictions on its shoppers who promote firearms following a number of US mass shootings.
A number of states with Republican-led legislatures are passing new abortion limits in anticipation that the US Supreme Court docket will seemingly undercut constitutional abortion protections this yr.
In Texas, the general public can sue anybody who helps ladies get abortions after six weeks. The variety of abortions in Texas dropped by some 60% inside the first month after the legislation took impact on Sept. 1, in keeping with state well being division knowledge.
Idaho’s senate has handed a invoice banning abortion after six weeks, earlier than many ladies know they’re pregnant. The brand new Citigroup coverage was reported earlier by Bloomberg Information.
The submitting describes worker pay and advantages, in addition to environmental, social and governance insurance policies.
Whereas Citigroup doesn’t have shopper branches in Texas, it has institutional companies there and has lengthy employed hundreds of Texans in massive places of work dealing with knowledge.
