On Saturday morning, one of Indiana’s largest employers, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, issued a strong objection to the new restrictions. “Given this new law,” she said in a statement, “we will be forced to plan for greater employment growth outside of our state.” The company, which employs more than 10,000 people in Indiana, began by saying, “Abortion is a divisive and deeply personal issue with no clear consensus among the citizens of Indiana.” He noted that Eli Lilly has expanded its employee health plan coverage to include travel for reproductive services. However, he added, “this may not be enough for some current and potential employees.” They were among the first major employers in the state to take notice of the new law. Shortly afterward, Jon Mills, a spokesman for Cummins, an engine company that employs about 10,000 people in the state, said: “The right to make decisions about reproductive health ensures that women have the same opportunity as others to participate fully in the workforce. us. and that our workforce is diverse. There are provisions in the bill that run counter to that, impact our people and hinder our ability to attract and retain top talent.” He added that Cummins’ health care benefits cover elective reproductive health procedures, including medical travel benefits. Mr. Mills also said that, “before and during the legislative process, we shared our concerns about this legislation with the legislative leadership.” Roche, the Swiss pharmaceutical company with its North American headquarters in Indianapolis, had no immediate comment. Other companies with headquarters or major offices in Indiana did not immediately respond to requests for comment. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, few companies stood up to the decision directly. Far more said they would expand their employer health care coverage to cover travel and other expenses for employees who may need to seek out-of-state reproductive health care. Some companies with a large presence in Indiana have said in the past that they will cover employee travel. In June, Kroger said it would cover up to $4,000 in travel expenses for employees in the health care plan. Software company Salesforce, which has about 2,300 employees in Indianapolis, also said it would move employees who want to leave states where abortion is banned. Neither immediately responded to a request for comment. In its statement, Eli Lilly described the Indiana law as “one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the United States.” He continued, “As a global company headquartered in Indianapolis for more than 145 years, we work hard to retain and attract thousands of people who are important drivers of our state’s economy. Given this new law, we will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside of our state.”
