Starbucks to Reimburse Travel Expenses for Workers Seeking Abortions
Getty
Starbucks is standing by its employees.
Following the release of a leaked a draft opinion stating the Supreme Court's intention to overturn Roe v. Wade — the landmark 1973 case that established the right to abortion — the company released a memo to its staff Monday, saying it would cover travel expenses for those who have to travel more than 100 miles from their homes to get an abortion.
"Like many of you, I'm deeply concerned by the draft Supreme Court opinion related to the constitutional right to abortion that was first established by Roe v. Wade," wrote Sara Kelly, acting executive vice president of partner resources.
"I know this is weighing on many of you, so let me be clear up front — regardless of what the Supreme Court ends up deciding, we will always ensure our partners have access to quality healthcare. And when actions impact your access to healthcare, we will work on a way to make sure you feel supported."
RELATED: 15 Celebrities Who Marched for Abortion Rights This Weekend, Plus Other Must-See Protest Pics
She added that "regardless of where you live or what you believe" all of its 240,000 employees and their dependents will be reimbursed for travel fees "when accessing abortion or gender-affirming procedures" that are not available within 100 miles of their home.
"Whatever healthcare choice you believe is right for you and your family, you deserve access to those services and the benefits that Starbucks provides," she continued in part.
RELATED VIDEO: Woman Whose Conception Sparked Roe v. Wade Case Breaks Silence: 'I'm Keeping a Secret but I Hate It'
On May 2, Politico released a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court that details its decision to likely vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. The draft, which the Supreme Court confirmed is authentic, is not expected to be finalized for weeks and could change during that time.
The 98-page opinion, allegedly authored by Justice Samuel Alito, states that "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," and that "we [the Supreme Court majority] hold that Roe and Casey [another ruling on the right to abortion from 1992 which upheld the previous court decision] must be overruled."
The draft document, labeled as the "Opinion of the Court," also says, "It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Since the opinion was leaked, A-list celebrities have also advocated for Roe v. Wade to remain intact. Earlier this month, a group of nearly 160 young singers, actors, artists and influencers including Ariana Grande and Hailey Bieber signed a full-page ad published in The New York Times to condemn the decision.
The ad is part of Planned Parenthood's #BansOffOurBodies campaign, which declares that "our bodies are our own — if they are not, we cannot be truly free or equal." By signing on, the artists are declaring their support for abortion rights and urging their fans to join them.
As part of the campaign, Planned Parenthood organized a May 14 Bans Off Our Bodies Day of Action of protests across the country in support of abortion rights.
