SAN FRANCISCO – IT giant Salesforce has offered to help relocate its employees working in Texas, following the passage of a restrictive abortion law in the conservative United States state.
“If you want to move, we’ll help you exit TX,” tweeted CEO Marc Benioff on Friday, adding a link to a CBNC article that first reported the move.
The law, which bans abortion after six weeks, has prompted outrage among women’s rights activists and Democrats, and the Joe Biden administration is looking for legal ways to block it.
Salesforce, a software company based here, told its staff that it respects “that we all have deeply held and different perspectives”, according to an internal note quoted by CNBC.
“With that being said, if you have concerns about access to reproductive healthcare in your state, Salesforce will help relocate you and members of your immediate family,” said the memo.
The Texas law passed this month bans abortion once a heartbeat can be detected, before many women even know they are pregnant – except in a medical emergency.
Other tech companies have also taken action in response to the law. Online dating giants Bumble and Match Group, which are headquartered in Texas, announced that they will create funds to support women.
The new law encourages Texans to report all those involved in illegal abortions, including people who take a woman to a clinic to get the procedure. In response, ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft have announced that they will cover drivers’ legal fees if they are exposed.
Web hosting provider GoDaddy refused to host a site set up by a Texan anti-abortion group to collect tip-offs to enforce the new law. – AFP, September 12, 2021
