Please read the following note that was sent to all full-time employees this morning from our Founder & CEO, Max Hoberman.
It is appalling that states, including the CA headquarter’s home state of Texas, are wading into what I consider personal health and privacy matters. Recently this encompassed gross intrusions on the rights and dignity of transgender youth, putting politics over the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of a vulnerable population, and threatening their families, friends, doctors, and other supporters.
As the recent draft US Supreme Court opinion potentially overturning Roe vs. Wade has shown, the rights of women to make critical decisions about their health and wellbeing—including access to vital birth control medication and abortion—and protections for the privacy of those decisions, are also under attack. Measures are already teed up in several states that will similarly punish family, friends, doctors, and other supporters who come to their aid. This is all incredibly concerning on a personal level, and also as a business owner and leader; naked politicization of private health matters is hurting our business in tangible ways, including our ability to recruit staff.
We have yet to formulate specific policies relating to our company’s handling of these matters. These are tricky areas to navigate, as state governments may at some point decide that, by supporting vulnerable employees in their time of need, we fall on the wrong side of the law. As appalling and distressing as this is, it’s a reality and a risk that we must carefully navigate.
However, as a demonstration of our company values, today I am making this commitment to you: If the state or province that you live in restricts access to what a majority of medical experts consider essential care, and this makes remaining there untenable for you and your family, we will cover the pre-approved, documented, reasonable out-of-pocket costs of your relocation to another, safer state or province that we operate in.
If this affects you, please know that you can bring questions or concerns to any member of our HR team. They will listen with compassion and maintain the utmost confidentiality on the matter, only sharing with other members of the extended HR team and with expert consultants if needed.
We’ll get through this together. Thank you for your continued trust and support.
– Max