Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a panel at the CEOs of America Summit organized by the US Chamber of Commerce on June 09, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images
Google sent a companywide email Friday about the historic Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, explaining that employees in affected states can apply for transfers without being told.
“This is a profound change for the country that deeply affects many of us, especially women,” wrote Google Chief People Officer Fiona Ciconi in an email to workers seen by CNBC. Google can also apply for transfer without any justification, and those overseeing the process will be aware of the situation.
The note did not specify how many requests the company would accept and did not make any promises. The company is still in the process of allotting transfers for employees who Do not want to return to its assigned physical office due to the company’s return-to-office policy, which began in April.
Google has more than 30 locations across the US
Ciconi also said it would provide “support sessions” to employees in the coming days.
Google’s statement comes as corporations across the country heroine And metaAssuming they’ll pay employees to travel to obtain an abortion if they are in states that have banned it following a Supreme Court decision Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade, withdrawing the federal right to obtain an abortion,
When the ruling first leaked, Google said it would provide travel benefits for out-of-state abortion care workers. Cisco added in the memo that the company’s US benefits plan and health insurance plans for full-time employees cover out-of-state medical producers who are not available.
When CNBC reached for comment Friday morning, a spokesperson said the company had nothing to add. It has not responded to Ciconi’s email or requests for comment on the transfer details.
The company also did not respond to requests for comment on whether it would comply with potential law enforcement requests for data related to users. Last month, a group of 42 Democratic lawmakers Urged to Google CEO Sundar Pichai Letter Stop collecting and possessing unnecessary or non-aggregated location data that can be used to identify people seeking an abortion.
Here’s the full memo from Google Chief Public Officer Fiona Ciconi:
Hi everyone,
This morning the US Supreme Court issued a ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that rolls back Roe v. Wade.
This is a profound change for the country that has a profound impact on many of us, especially women. Everyone will respond in their own way, whether it’s wanting the space and time to process, speaking up, volunteering outside of work, not wanting to discuss it at all, or something else entirely. Please be mindful of what many of your co-workers are feeling and, as always, treat each other with respect.
Equity is exceptionally important to us as a company, and we share concerns about the impact this decision will have on people’s health, lives and careers. We will continue to work to make reproductive health information accessible in our products and will continue our work to protect user privacy.
To support Googlers and their dependents, our American benefits plan and health insurance cover out-of-state medical procedures that are not available when the employee lives and works. Googlers can also apply for transfer without justification, and those overseeing the process will be aware of the situation. If you need additional assistance, please connect 1:1 to a People Consultant.
We will be arranging support sessions for Googlers in the US in the coming days. These will be posted on Googler News.
Please don’t hesitate to count on your Google community in the days to come and continue to take good care of yourself and each other.