As business travel claws its way back to 2019 levels, tighter abortion restrictions and anti-LGBTQ laws are causing some employers and event organizers to weigh a new set of threats to employees’ safety outside the office. Dozens of states have slashed abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and more than 180 bills restricting LGBTQ rights are advancing in statehouses nationwide. These moves have drawn criticism on political and civil rights grounds, with companies and event organizers threatening state boycotts.
In an April survey, the SAP Concur found 82% of LGBTQ+ business travelers had changed accommodations at least once in the past 12 months because they felt unsafe, compared to 70% of U.S. business travelers overall and 53% globally.
While most businesses have developed Covid protocols, some are just starting to wrestle with other scenarios: What if a pregnant employee has a medical emergency while traveling in an anti-abortion state? Or a trans employee faces a confrontation someplace without public accommodation protections for gender identity?
Some corporate clients have also started maintaining lists of potentially problematic destinations for workers to visit, while others are adopting no-retaliation policies “that allow employees to express concerns, establish boundaries or refuse travel” to certain areas.”
Source: NBC News
