Top 10 stories from this week: Roe v. Wade ruling makes a significant impact on employee benefits in the US
Employers including Disney, Meta and JP Morgan, have stepped forward with changes to their benefits programmes as a direct result of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion a constitutional right across the US.
It is expected that 26 conservatives states in America will consider introducing new abortion restrictions or bans, making it difficult or even illegal for women to access reproductive care in some states.
In response to this decision, some employers have already stated that they will change their health insurance plans to cover travel expenses and other costs in order for women to access reproductive care.
This controversial and divisive decision has seen employers grappling with how best to support their employees, with many highlighting that they wish to maintain equitable access to all benefits, and that they are focused on the health and wellbeing of their employees.
It remains to be seen how this decision may affect employee benefits internationally. However, for those based in the US, regardless of an organisation’s position on this issue, reward and benefits professionals will need to consider how they communicate about this ruling and the potential wider implications this may have on employees’ mental and financial wellbeing.
For more reward and employee benefits news you might have missed this week, read our top 10 snippets below.
Roe v Wade: US firms pledge to pay staff travel expenses for abortions
BBC Major companies including Disney, JP Morgan and Facebook owner Meta have told staff they will cover employee travel expenses for abortions, as millions of US women face restricted access. Read more
Government will not introduce menopause as a protected characteristic
Employee Benefits Baroness Stedman-Scott, the Minister for Work and Pensions and Minister for Women, has confirmed that the government is not currently planning to introduce menopause as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, or to implement dual discrimination. Read more
Third of employees living ‘payday to payday’
People Management A third of UK workers are living payday to payday, according to research from Willis Towers Watson, prompting higher levels of anxiety and depression. Read more
UK draft Mental Health Bill criticised on improving workplace mental health
HR Magazine The government's draft Mental Health Bill has been criticised for its lack of impact on workplace mental health. Read more
UK schemes fail to recognise climate change impact
Professional Pensions Leading corporate businesses are unaware that their workplace pensions could be contributing towards climate change, according to new research from Make My Money Matter (MMMM). Read more
Thinking of cutting pay for remote staff? Be ready for a legal battle
HR Grapevine Employers could face serious legal battles if they decide to cut pay for remote or hybrid staff, experts have warned. Read more
Salaries failing to increase with inflation
HR Magazine The latest employee earnings data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed pay has stagnated, while the proportion classed as middle-earners remains unchanged. Read more
Two in five companies reported wider gender pay gaps last year, report finds
People Management More than two in five firms have seen their gender pay gaps widen over the last year, analysis of reported data has found.
A report from PwC, which looked at data disclosed by 10,282 companies, found 43 per cent had reported a larger pay gap compared to the previous year. Read more
Less than 40 per cent of FTSE 100 firms have disability initiatives
People Management The majority of the UK’s top listed companies do not offer initiatives to support disabled and neurodiverse employees, a report has found.
The study by Agility in Mind, which looked at the reports of FTSE 100 firms, found that while 99 per cent had inclusive mission statements, just 37 had sustainable disability initiatives in place, and only four had neurodiversity initiatives. Read more
The employee experience is dominated by wellbeing – key takeaways from this year’s Employee Wellbeing Congress
Reward & Employee Benefits Association Earlier this week we were joined by delegates from across the reward, employee benefits and wellbeing industry at our annual Employee Wellbeing Congress. Here we round-up the key takeaways from the event. Read more
