At the Crossroads of America, an aggressive clampdown on reproductive rights could force one of Indiana’s largest employers to look elsewhere for talent.
Indianapolis-headquartered Eli Lilly acknowledges that abortion is a “divisive” and “deeply personal” issue with “no clear consensus among the citizens of Indiana.”
Still, “Indiana has opted to quickly adopt one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the United States,” Lilly said in a statement obtained by Newsweek and multiple other news outlets. The pharma giant didn't hesitate to voice concerns about the law's consequences after the state's decision.
In the fallout of the Supreme Court’s move to overturn Roe V. Wade earlier this year, Indiana on Friday became the first U.S. state to approve abortion restrictions, which will go into effect on Sept. 15. The ban prohibits almost all abortions save for in certain instances, such as incest or rape, to safeguard the health of the mother, or in situations where the fetus is diagnosed with a lethal condition.
The bill also relegates the procedure to hospitals, meaning Indiana abortion clinics are poised to lose their licenses.
Lilly flagged concerns that the law would “hinder” its ability—and Indiana’s—to “attract diverse scientific, engineering and business talent from around the world.
“While we have expanded our employee health plan to include travel for reproductive services unavailable locally, that may not be enough or some current and potential employees,” Lilly added.
Lilly's not alone on that front, as multiple drug majors like Gilead Sciences, GSK and Sanofi have made pledges to reimburse employee travel fees for abortion services.
Aside from the Indiana bill’s implications for reproductive autonomy, meanwhile, Lilly warns the legislation could put a squeeze on local jobs.
“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,” Lilly continued in its statement. Once Indiana’s abortion ban takes effect, Lilly “will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state.”
Lilly has had somewhat of a complicated relationship with its native state lately. Earlier this year, the company’s CEO David Ricks criticized the state in a speech before the Economic Club of Indiana, stating, “[o]ur education attainment in the state is not good.”
“The ability to reskill the workforce, I think, could improve," he added at the event. "Health, life and inclusion, overall, I think, conditions rank poorly nationally in our state. And also workforce preparedness, also related to reskilling, is a liability for us,” Ricks said.
At the same time, Ricks noted Indiana’s healthcare costs exceed those of neighboring states, which makes the Hoosier State unattractive to potential employers.
Still, one month later, Lilly laid out $2.1 billion to erect two new manufacturing sites in Indiana’s Boone County, with plans to add 500 new jobs along the way.
“More than 146 years after our founding, Lilly remains committed to investing and innovating in Indiana,” Ricks said in a statement at the time.