New Zealand-American company Allbirds is covering the costs of any US-based staff who need to travel for an abortion after a Supreme Court ruling led to bans in some states. This all follows the 2022 US Supreme Court ruling which overturned Roe v. Wade (1973).
The eco-friendly footwear and activewear company, based in San Francisco and co-founded by Kiwi Tim Brown, said it would also cover any childcare costs for employees seeking the procedure.
Co-founders American Joey Zwillinger and New Zealander Tim Brown said that employees who wanted to seek an abortion would be supported.
“Should you have to incur travel to reach a state that legally allows an abortion and you would like to exercise your right to do so, we will cover your travel cost to ensure that you can make the decision that is right for you.”
Perhaps Allbirds should focus on profitability instead of wokeness. Despite being trendy with hipsters and the like, Allbirds continue to suffer significant financial woes. In March 2024 it reported fourth-quarter net loss of US$56.8 million, taking its full-year net loss to US$152.5m – compared to the prior year’s US$101.4m in red ink.
Fourth quarter revenue fell 14.5 per cent to US$72m, while full-year revenue was down 14.7 per cent to US$254m. Ouch!
After another big loss Allbirds announced that CEO Joey Zwillinger will follow his co-founder Tim Brown in quitting the executive suite.