Reporting your unwanted pregnancy to your employer so they can pay for you to travel

[milestogo]

seems like it might be a tad uncomfortable. Who wants their manager, supervisor, or HR person to know this kind of information?

[hlthe2b]

1. One presumes there would be an HR designee to handle these matters and immediate supervisor

would only be told that leave had been approved. Similar to how large corporations handle Family & Medical Leave requests, given HIPAA.

[spooky3]

11. Many big companies have Employee Assistance Programs

To deal with sensitive matters. They might be asked to handle this travel, also, without even the supervisor’s knowing the reason.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_assistance_program

[MANative]

2. That was my first question when I heard these reports, and...

I'm a VP of HR. If an employee came to me with that kind of info, I certainly know how to maintain privacy, but someone in Finance would inevitably get involved in processing payments, etc. Not likely that privacy could be maintained. I think the sentiment is right, but the practical application could get very messy.

[wryter2000]

22. Thank you

The sentiment is right. Everyone else in this thread seems to think this is some kind of trap to get employees to report their pregnancy to HR so the information can be spread far and wide before they're told "No, you have to continue the pregnancy."

Honestly, if a company felt that way, they wouldn't have offered help to begin with.

[Arazi]

23. You skipped right over the part where he says

“The practical application could get very messy”.

Exactly the point everyone’s trying to make. This isn’t a topic like “Jane Doe needs FMLA to care for a sick family member”.

It’s abortion which 30% (plus or minus) of the population thinks is murder. And these are employees in red states where the government agrees it’s murder, and where abortion is considered a crime.

Jane Doe faces the very real probability that her boss, coworkers, HR contact, and/or finance person etc believes she’s committing a crime.

[Sympthsical]

28. As an HR manager, I'm with you on this

I get the thought and sentiment. However, I'm trying to think of what would actually happen vs. what should happen.

I'm fortunate I live and work in a deep blue state, so this situation will never arise. Just thinking of confidentiality and the number of people who could potentially be involved gives me anxiety. Could you imagine what would happen if the information leaked? Who likes arbitration!

Very no thank you.

But I do get the thought.

[dchill]

3. What could go wrong?

[Irish_Dem]

4. Exactly. Who is going to go to their boss and HR to ask for this benefit?

The whole company will know in 24 hours.

And can you imagine what happens then?

[Demovictory9]

5. nosy co-workers... "what are you doing on your leave"?

i had co workers that would not let it go until they knew your itinerary for a day off

[LiberalFighter]

9. Ask them if they will be having sex that night.

If not, why not. If they are, whether it will be heterosexual or with same sex. If it will be missionary or other. If they intend to get pregnant or just for fun.

[Demovictory9]

15. lol...then wait from visit from HR

[uponit7771]

6. Ah come on, don't you trust that MAGA hat wearing manager who treats all the non-xtian employees ...

... like they're crap ?! / sarc

Yeah, bad idea

[genxlib]

7. Well apparently

No women has the right to that kind of privacy.

At least that is what I am told by the Supreme Court.

The absurdity of it all just makes it that much more maddening.

[milestogo]

10. Well thats the thing...

What woman, married or not, wants her coworkers, managers, etc. to know she is dealing with an unwanted pregnancy? Its very private medical information. Its nobody elses business. Frankly, if it were me I would find any other way to pay for it than asking my employer.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. Exactly. Employers driving health care is generally not a great thing.

[Raven]

12. How about a pregnancy stipend?

[wryter2000]

13. No one is required to do it

They can cover their own expenses. You're right, it would be very uncomfortable, but I imagine HR would keep the information confidential. You'd simply go on vacation for a few days.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

14. .

I imagine HR would keep the information confidential.

You have a very good imagination!

[wryter2000]

20. It would be a requirment

HR information is confidential. Anyone who released it would be subject to discipline or dismissal. If not, the company is totally corrupt and wouldn't have offered this assistance to begin with.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

24. Many, many "requirements" are violated in the workplace all the time.

[wryter2000]

27. So...

Companies who offered this would do it to entrap their workers to report pregnancies to HR so the information could be passed on to other employees, one of whom would report it to the police.

God, I’m so naïve.

[milestogo]

17. What if your HR person is a devout anti-choice Catholic?

Think she'll approve your request without trying to talk you out of it?

[wryter2000]

18. You and others are certainly right that there could be real problems

However, the company is trying to help. They're not requiring anyone report their pregnancy or their plans to end if. They're just trying to help employees go out of state to get care. Do you know of a better way to help?

Employees would have to ask for assistance with any kind of medical problem. Someone in HR would know about it. If there's a better option for employers to help, suggest it.

There's no right to this benefit. There's no requirement people use it. It's not a regular employee benefit that's being restricted. The only other option would be for the company to move to another state. I would certainly recommend not opening a facility in a place where abortion is illegal, but what if they're already there?

[madinmaryland]

21. Needless to say, you are referring to Hobby lobby and Chick-f-let.

[Sancho]

19. It would really be uncomfortable if you were having an affair with the supervisor...

[Hekate]

25. I know. There's something really wrong with this "helpful" notion. nt

[Solly Mack]

26. K&R

[MissB]

29. The way it would work with my employer

I would have a code for the leave. HR would be notified; they’d walk me through the process of making the travel arrangements on the company dime. It’d be treated like any other out of state travel, except I’d be required to code my time as some sort of sick leave category specific to this benefit.

The companies that are offering this are large ones with actual HR departments with professional HR people.

[Arazi]

30. But this would be leave to commit a crime. "Murder" specifically

Would everyone in your HR or Finance department be onboard with facilitating that for employees?

Especially since these would be HR/Finance employees willingly living in red states so there’s a higher likelihood of them being anti-abortion. Would employees want the fact that they’re committing a “crime” on their HR record?

Would that info never leak, especially in states that offer bounties?

Furthermore can’t the state subpoena records if they suspect there’s been a crime committed?