The Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade has Americans on both sides of the abortion rights issue engulfed in high emotion. There is a lot of conjecture about how companies and their leaders should be speaking out, taking a stand and taking action. But what about “speaking in” to employees? The Court’s ruling in late June impacts employees in a majority of U.S. states. How should organizational leaders (including many men who are uncomfortable talking about this, yet likely to be economically impacted by the ruling) address employee concerns? What should they do for their employees, and how do they talk about abortion rights when it is seen by some as a private moral issue and by others as a foundational women’s rights and human rights issue?
We argue that leaders have an obligation to listen and learn from their employees, understand the type of support they need, demonstrate care, empathy and concern through their actions, and engage in public advocacy for those in their organization most likely to be impacted by this issue. Leaders can have their own personal views on this issue (as most people do), while leveraging allyship skills in initiating and mediating conversations about how recent events are impac …