Levi Strauss to reimburse abortion journey for workers

May 4 (Reuters) - Levi Strauss & Co mentioned on Wednesday it would reimburse journey bills for its full- and part-time employees who have to travel to another state for health care companies, including abortions.

The apparel firm greatest known for its jeans is the newest U.S. company to supply the benefit as numerous states clamp down on access to abortions.

And now, the U.S. Supreme Court appears set to vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, in keeping with a leaked initial draft majority opinion printed by Politico on Monday. read extra

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"Given what is at stake, enterprise leaders need to make their voices heard and act to protect the well being and well-being of our workers. Which means protecting reproductive rights," the company said in an announcement.

Other companies have pledged to supply similar help to their U.S. staff who have to travel out of states like Texas and Oklahoma that have restricted entry to abortion providers.

Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), the second-largest U.S. non-public employer, on Monday informed staff it would pay as much as $4,000 in travel expenses yearly for non-life threatening medical treatments, among them elective abortions. read more

Crowd-sourced review platform Yelp, Inc (YELP.N) mentioned it should begin in May to cover expenses for its workers and their dependents who have to journey to a different state for abortion services. read extra

One of the main Hollywood talent agencies, UTA, said it will reimburse travel bills related to receiving women's reproductive well being companies that aren't accessible in an employee's state of residence.

"We’re doing this to help the right to choose that has been a bedrock of settled legislation for almost half a century," Jeremy Zimmer, UTA's chief government, wrote in a employees memo Wednesday that was seen by Reuters.

Citigroup Inc (C.N) turned in March the first major U.S. financial institution to make an analogous dedication. read extra

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Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo; Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Enhancing by Anna Driver, Alexandra Hudson, Kirsten Donovan

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