Corporate America Doesn’t Want to Talk Abortion, but It May Have To
Business leaders, who have increasingly waded into social issues like racial equity and voting rights, now face whether to comment on abortion. A recent New York Times story talks to corporate executives, business professors and others about that decision and provides examples of what some businesses are choosing to say.
From Emma Goldberg, Alisha Haridasani Gupta and Lauren Hirsch writing in The New York Times…
Some political and cultural events set off a cascade of emails from brands — sneaker, makeup and food companies telling their customers that they stand with them in a stressful time, or reminding them to vote. But after a draft opinion obtained by Politico revealed the Supreme Court’s intention to overturn Roe v. Wade, the overwhelming reaction from corporate leaders was silence.
“This is an issue that many companies have shied away from,” said Miriam Warren, Yelp’s chief diversity officer.
Ms. Warren, whose company has been among the most vocal in support of abortion rights, is hoping the silence will break. She sees voicing an opinion, one way or another, as a necessity for recruiting and retaining talent.
“The days of companies not wading into political issues, or not speaking out on things that are perceived as private or personal, are over,” she said.
Anti-abortion campaigners, however, said the silence from companies made business sense.
“It is generally a mistake for corporate leaders to wade into political issues, particularly divisive political issues where they might alienate half their customer base,” said Anne Cori, chairman of the anti-abortion group Eagle Forum.
For the full story, click here.