Meta reportedly bans abortion discussion on internal version of Facebook to avoid 'hostile work environment'

Employees at Meta are restricted from discussing abortion at work, according to a new report.

An executive with Meta told employees on Thursday they may not discuss abortion on the company's internal version of Facebook, Workplace, due to an "increased risk" of creating a "hostile work environment," The Verge reports.

The report says the company's policy was put in place in 2019, and it prohibits employees from discussing "opinions or debates about abortion being right or wrong, availability or rights of abortion, and political, religious, and humanitarian views on the topic."

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The policy hadn't been previously revealed, and The Verge reports some employees are calling for it to end after a leaked draft indicated the Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v. Wade. Vice president of HR Janelle Gale reportedly told employees abortion is a "divisive" topic and that "even if people are respectful, and they're attempting to be respectful about their view on abortion, it can still leave people feeling like they're being targeted based on their gender or religion."

According to the report, Meta executive Naomi Gleit also told employees they may only discuss abortion at work "with a trusted colleague in a private setting (e.g. live, chat, etc.)," or in a "listening session with a small group of up to 5 like-minded people to show solidarity."