A longtime board member of Chemours is set to resign from the company effective January 2, 2023.
In a letter to the Board Chair and the CEO of Chemours, Bradley J. Bell announced that he’d be leaving the company due to their choice to include gender affirmation procedures, abortions and travel benefits for those needing to travel more than 100 miles to obtain those services.
Bell calls these benefits “morally and ethically wrong,” and goes on to specifically target the company’s stance on abortion.
Bell follows the belief that life begins after fertilization, and stands firmly against reproductive health care that offers abortion as an option, comparing it to ending the life of a 5-year-old child.
While Chemours does not exclusively state in its benefits package that abortion care and gender affirmation care are included in the 2023 healthcare package for employees and their dependents, they do make it clear that their benefit plan offers comprehensive healthcare services.
Chemours offers their employees the choice of two Aetna health plans for 2023, which do cover abortion care services and gender affirmation services.
The new travel benefit introduced by the company is not specific to any form of care. It allows individuals to travel more than 100 miles from their home to obtain in-network medical care that is not available to them at their location to do so without fear of extra costs. Though it could be used for an individual to obtain an abortion, it is not exclusively for that purpose.
Bell notes Chemours management stated that the new benefits were indicated by employees as being important to them, but he questions the validity of that idea.
In his letter, he wrote: “Is that truly the case, or is the company simply wanting to make a statement in our increasingly “woke” culture?”
Chemours released a statement in response to Bell’s resignation.
“Chemours’ ambition to be a Great Place to Work for all, begins with our values. Every day we focus on holistic safety which prioritizes the physical, emotional, and psychological safety of every person at Chemours, and our employee benefits reflect this approach,” they wrote. “The company acknowledges Mr. Bell’s personal beliefs and respects his decision to resign.”
Chemours joins several other companies, including Microsoft, Netflix and Levi Strauss, in offering travel benefits for employees that allow for access to abortion care.
Read Bell’s full letter below:
