Yelp, H&M join 180 companies in open letter against abortion restrictions

June 10 (UPI) -- The leaders of more than 180 U.S. companies, including Yelp, Ben & Jerry's and H&M, signed an open letter Monday calling for comprehensive access to reproductive health, including abortions, as states across the country tighten restrictions on the procedure.

The letter, which ran as a full-page advertisement in The New York Times, said the signatories "stand against policies that hinder people's health, independence and ability to fully succeed in the workplace." It said restricting access to abortion threatens the health of the more than 108,000 people collectively employed by the businesses.

The letter did not call for an outright boycott of doing business in any particular state, as some production companies and actors have done in reaction to Georgia's passage of a so-called "heartbeat" abortion bill in May.

A number of states have passed such legislation in recent months, including Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio. Alabama signed the most restrictive yet, a near-total ban on abortions unless the woman's life is at risk. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

The open letter said such laws are bad for business.

"It impairs our ability to build diverse and inclusive workforce pipelines, recruit top talent across the states, and protect the well-being of all the people who keep our businesses thriving day in and out," the letter said.

"The future of equality hangs in the balance, putting our families, communities, businesses and the economy at risk."

Also signing the letter were Jack Dorsey on behalf of his company, Square, Inc., and Kenneth Cole. Other companies included Seventh Generation, Glossier, Warby Parker, Atlantic Records & Warner Music Group, The Body Shop, Demalogica Professional Skincare, Birchbox, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Postmates, rag & bone, Bloomberg L.P., Slack Technologies Inc., Refinery 29, POPSUGAR, a Thinx.