Abortion access under fire: How employers should prepare for midterm election decisions

ABORTION RIGHTS: Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, cutting off access to abortion and reproductive care for millions of Americans, employers have been forced to fill in the gaps,?providing legal support , travel stipends and advocacy on behalf of their employees. It hasn't been easy — and it may get even harder in the wake of the upcoming November midterm elections.?

At the national level, if the House and Senate remain under Democratic control, President Biden has pledged to restore Roe v. Wade with a federal law.?At the state and local level, states including Alaska, Kentucky and Montana have ballot initiatives that would amend their state constitutions to ban abortion and establish fines and prison time for those who violate it. In Michigan, where abortion is still legal, the state's Democratic governor is up for reelection; while she currently has a lead in the polls, a loss would usher in anti-abortion policies and a potential ban on Plan B,?a method of birth control .?

Catch up on how the midterms could impact abortion right in the U.S. -- and how employers may need to react with more inclusive healthcare benefits and political advocacy. The executive director of MomsRising.org , Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner breaks it down.

Read: Abortion access under fire: How employers should prepare amid midterm election decisions

FINANCIAL WELLNESS: Families and individuals are increasingly having to choose between near-term savings and expenses and future?financial security . But tax-advantaged investment programs such as 529 or ABLE plans can help provide a financial safety net.?

"How to prioritize saving for, say, a child's college education against other goals like emergency savings or?retirement savings ?is a question we hear all the time," says Peg Creonte , president of the government savings business unit at Ascensus . "People are concerned."?She reveals how to jumpstart your savings with these plans:

Read: Ascensus exec: 529 and ABLE plans can shore up families' financial futures

COMPENSATION: Eighty-four percent of women are confident that they can succeed in their job, according to a recent survey by 富达 , and 77% have a healthy work-life balance. But those wins are paired with a cruel reality: just half of respondents?said they feel equally confident when it comes to?negotiating pay or asking for a promotion .?The root of this discrepancy goes back to the systemic barrier that has always existed between women and money. Despite companies'?DEI efforts ?and women's growing presence in the workplace, it's proved challenging to break down historic financial norms.

"When we're young girls we are often taught to say thank you and be good — and 'being good' does not include asking for things," says Lorna Kapusta , head of women investors and customer engagement at 富达 .?Kapusta shares her top tips for empowering women to ask for more. ?

Read: Just 57% of women are comfortable asking for a raise