Walmart’s human resources manager said in an internal memo that the new benefits are effective immediately.
A ban on inducing abortions — except in cases where the mother’s life is at risk — took effect in Arkansas after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it Deer, which had established a fundamental procedural right. About 53% of Walmart employees in the United States are women. It operates more than 2,000 stores in states that have either prohibit abortion or impose near-total restrictions on the procedure.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) signed the tripping ban into law last year, although he said earlier this month that he supports exceptions for rape and incest. There was no immediate reaction to Walmart’s decision from senior GOP leaders in Arkansas, although the move was criticized by some anti-abortion activists.
Other companies that have offered support for female employees wishing to terminate a pregnancy include disneywhich employs some 80,000 people in Florida, a state with a near-total ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Dick’s Sporting Goods said it will reimburse employees for up to $4,000 in travel expenses to the nearest location where abortion is legal. Lyft and JPMorgan, along with Walmart competitors Target and CVS, have taken similar action.
Walmart and the Walton family – descendants of the company’s founder and owners of a large stake in the retailer – have a history of supporting conservative causes and politicians. Walmart donated two to three times more to the GOP than to the Democratic Party in many election cycles before 2008, according to campaign finance watchdog Open Secrets.
In recent years, the retail giant and the Walton family have expanded their contributions to include liberal politicians and moderate Republicans. In 2020, walmart gave comparable sums to Republican and Democratic politicians; that year, the family contributed more to Democratic candidates for Congress.
Donations this year individual family members to GOP politicians include $17,400 to Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who supports abortion rights and recently finished ahead of a candidate backed by former President Donald Trump in a Senate primary. They also donated $250,000 to the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump Republican group.
Walmart was one of dozens of companies that interrupted donations to lawmakers who voted against certifying Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.