Nearly 1 in 3 Employees Is Considering Leaving Their Organization Over Its Response to the Overturning of Roe v. Wade

New research from Catalyst shows that employees want their organizations to take action on abortion access.

A recent survey commissioned by global nonprofit Catalyst, which works to accelerate progress for women through workplace inclusion, reveals that nearly one in three employees (30%) is considering leaving their jobs due to their employer’s response to the US Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Almost half of those surveyed (44%) said their organizations and leaders are not doing enough to ensure abortion access. One third (33%) said they want their CEO to advocate for abortion rights.

New research from Catalyst shows that employees want their organizations to take action on abortion access.

When organizations took action, employees noticed. Employees were nearly twice as likely (83% vs 45%) to say that their organization genuinely cares about addressing employee needs if their organization took action in response to Roe v. Wade being overturned.

“The data is clear: abortion access is a critical workplace issue,” said Lorraine Hariton, Catalyst’s president and CEO. “Employees are assessing their careers and making decisions based on how their leaders address this issue. Clear communication and meaningful action go a long way.”

Catalyst’s September 2022 survey of more than 1,000 adults working in the US examined how employers’ action or inaction around abortion access has impacted employees’ feelings about their workplaces and career pathways.

Employees say their companies are not doing enough when it comes to abortion access.

Two-fifths (44%) of employees said their organizations and leaders are not doing enough to ensure abortion access. That number is higher among younger employees, with more than half (52%) of employees ages 18-34 (57% of women, 48% of men) saying their organization is not doing enough to ensure abortion access for employees (by providing healthcare plans that cover abortion or covering travel expenses for abortion care, for example).

Employers are not communicating clearly with their workers about reproductive benefits and policies.

More than half (59%) of employees want more clarity and transparency about their organization’s policies on reproductive healthcare. That number is higher for younger employees, with more than two-thirds (69%) of employees ages 18-34 (70% women, 69% men) wanting more clarity on those benefits.

Employees want their organizations to provide abortion benefits.

More than half (52%) of employees ages 18-34 (57% of women, 47% of men) say they would likely use employer-provided financial or travel benefits to access abortion care if they or their partner needed them.

One in three (34%) respondents said they would not be able to afford to travel for an abortion without financial assistance from their organization. Additionally, 37% of respondents said they would not be able to get time off work to travel for an abortion without assistance from their organization, such as written policies, benefits, or manager support.

Younger employees are making career decisions based on how their employers address abortion access.

Younger employees ages 18-34 are particularly concerned about their career pathways post-Roe. Nearly half (46%) of employees ages 18-34 (47% of women, 44% of men) are concerned that they won’t have the career they planned because Roe v. Wade has been overturned.

Survey methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Catalyst from September 6-8, 2022, among 1,227 employed US adults 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. View the full findings at www.catalyst.org.

About Catalyst

Catalyst is a global nonprofit supported by many of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with preeminent thought leadership, actionable solutions and a galvanized community of multinational corporations to accelerate and advance women into leadership—because progress for women is progress for everyone.

Media Contacts
Erin Souza-Rezendes
Vice President, Global Communications
Catalyst
[email protected]