How 11 companies are reacting to Trump’s immigration ban
February 8, 2017 9:17 PM
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
How 11 companies are reacting to Trump’s immigration ban
President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration restrictions has many multinational companies jumping into action by coming up with steps on how to help affected employees and clients, while communicating those plans to their workforces.
CEOs and HR officials across industries sent out e-mails or posted notices on social media to assure affected employees that they will receive guidance following the Jan. 27 executive order that temporarily banned nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States on any visa category.
Here is what 11 companies said they are doing regarding Trump’s ban.
CEOs and HR officials across industries sent out e-mails or posted notices on social media to assure affected employees that they will receive guidance following the Jan. 27 executive order that temporarily banned nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States on any visa category.
Here is what 11 companies said they are doing regarding Trump’s ban.
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Amazon
The retail giant says its immediate focus is to make sure employees have “the information [they] need to make travel decisions in the coming weeks.”
In a memo to employees, Amazon vice president of human resources Beth Galetti wrote instructions for any employees who are citizens of any countries listed in Trump’s order.
· “If you currently reside and/or work in the U.S. and are present in the U.S. today, we recommend that you refrain from travel outside of the U.S. until further notice as you may be denied re-entry to the U.S. for the duration of the entry restrictions.
· If you currently work/reside in the U.S. (as a green card holder or on a valid work visa such as an H, L, E, or TN) but are traveling abroad, please contact amazonimmigration@amazon.com. We are working on contingency plans for these employees and will be communicating with them directly.
· If you work for Amazon in another country (and are a citizen of any of the countries listed above) and have current plans to visit the U.S. for business or personal reasons, we advise you to cancel them until the entry restrictions are lifted.
We are committed to supporting all of our employees and anyone in their immediate family who may be impacted by this order, including assistance with legal counsel and support and will continue to monitor any developments.”
In a memo to employees, Amazon vice president of human resources Beth Galetti wrote instructions for any employees who are citizens of any countries listed in Trump’s order.
· “If you currently reside and/or work in the U.S. and are present in the U.S. today, we recommend that you refrain from travel outside of the U.S. until further notice as you may be denied re-entry to the U.S. for the duration of the entry restrictions.
· If you currently work/reside in the U.S. (as a green card holder or on a valid work visa such as an H, L, E, or TN) but are traveling abroad, please contact amazonimmigration@amazon.com. We are working on contingency plans for these employees and will be communicating with them directly.
· If you work for Amazon in another country (and are a citizen of any of the countries listed above) and have current plans to visit the U.S. for business or personal reasons, we advise you to cancel them until the entry restrictions are lifted.
We are committed to supporting all of our employees and anyone in their immediate family who may be impacted by this order, including assistance with legal counsel and support and will continue to monitor any developments.”
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
American Express
“Our top priority is ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees,” the financial-services giant said in a statement. “Notes to all worldwide employees were sent regarding the executive order on immigration. We will work to assist all employees and contractors who may be directly impacted by the order, both those who may be traveling, as well as those currently in the United States from one of the restricted countries with Green Cards or visas. We are monitoring this situation closely and will continue to provide information and assistance to employees as this situation develops.”
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Apple
“There are employees at Apple who are directly affected by [President Trump’s] immigration order,” Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in a memo sent to employees. “Our HR, legal and security teams are in contact with them, and Apple will do everything we can to support them. We’re providing resources on AppleWeb for anyone with questions or concerns about immigration policies. And we have reached out to the White House to explain the negative effect on our coworkers and our company.”
Cisco
“We have a small number of affected employees and we are working with them and their families to provide support and assistance,” the technology company said in a statement. “We will also be discussing this issue more broadly at a company meeting this week. We have always believed in an inclusive and diverse workforce and an effective high-skilled immigration system, and we will continue to work with the U.S. administration and governments around the world to help create the most effective policies for our business and employees.”
Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News
EY
“The executive order issued by President Trump to reevaluate the U.S. visa issuance process and U.S. Refugee Admission Program will have an impact on our ability to work as a globally connected organization,” EY global chairman and CEO Mark Weinberger said in a statement. “We communicated to all of EY’s quarter of a million people around the world that we are working through the implications of this order and stand ready to assist any impacted employees.”
Tony Avelar/Bloomberg
"It’s painful to see the personal cost of this executive order on our colleagues,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a memo to employees, obtained by Bloomberg. “We’ve always made our view on immigration issues known publicly and will continue to do so."
Scott Eells/Bloomberg
JPMorgan Chase
“In light of recent executive orders in the United States regarding immigration policy, we want every one of you to know of our unwavering commitment to the dedicated people working here at JPMorgan Chase,” the financial services company wrote in an email to its employees. “This includes a number of our outstanding employees — all of whom have adhered to our country’s immigration and employment processes — who have come to the United States to serve our company, clients and communities.
We have worked to reach out to all JPMorgan Chase employees on sponsored visas who are potentially impacted by the recent orders. We understand the situation is evolving quickly, so if you have any concerns about your own situation and have not been contacted, please reach out to your local immigration specialist or HR team.”
We have worked to reach out to all JPMorgan Chase employees on sponsored visas who are potentially impacted by the recent orders. We understand the situation is evolving quickly, so if you have any concerns about your own situation and have not been contacted, please reach out to your local immigration specialist or HR team.”
Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
Microsoft
“As a company, Microsoft believes in a strong and balanced high-skilled immigration system,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a comment published on LinkedIn. “We also believe in broader immigration opportunities, like the protections for talented and law-abiding young people under the Deferred Access for Childhood Arrivals program. We believe that immigration laws can and should protect the public without sacrificing people’s freedom of expression or religion. And we believe in the importance of protecting legitimate and law-abiding refugees whose very lives may be at stake in immigration proceedings.”
Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
Procter & Gamble
“While the full impact of the recent policy changes is not yet clear, we know there may be some impact on our employees, our business partners and their families,” Damon Jones, director of global company communications at Procter & Gamble, wrote in a memo to employees. “For them, we are providing our full support and assistance during this period of uncertainty. And for the broader P&G community, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion and creating an environment where all people are welcome, all people are valued and all people are respected.”
REI
“We do not support the executive order issued by the President regarding immigration,” REI President and CEO Jerry Stritzke said in a statement posted on the company’s Facebook page. “I have reached out personally to all employees currently in the immigration process to ensure they have the support they need. If you have questions or concerns or are personally impacted, I urge you to contact your HR business partner.”
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Uber
“Our People Ops team has already reached out to the dozen or so employees who we know are affected: for example, those who live and work in the U.S., are legal residents but not naturalized citizens will not be able to get back into the country if they are traveling outside of the U.S. now or anytime in the next 90 days,” Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said in a statement posted to the company’s Facebook page. “Anyone who believes that this order could impact them should contact our immigration team immediately.”
“This order has far broader implications as it also affects thousands of drivers who use Uber and come from the listed countries, many of whom take long breaks to go back home to see their extended family. These drivers currently outside of the U.S. will not be able to get back into the country for 90 days. That means they will not be able to earn a living and support their families — and of course they will be separated from their loved ones during that time.
We are working out a process to identify these drivers and compensate them pro bono during the next three months to help mitigate some of the financial stress and complications with supporting their families and putting food on the table. We will have more details on this in the coming days.”
“This order has far broader implications as it also affects thousands of drivers who use Uber and come from the listed countries, many of whom take long breaks to go back home to see their extended family. These drivers currently outside of the U.S. will not be able to get back into the country for 90 days. That means they will not be able to earn a living and support their families — and of course they will be separated from their loved ones during that time.
We are working out a process to identify these drivers and compensate them pro bono during the next three months to help mitigate some of the financial stress and complications with supporting their families and putting food on the table. We will have more details on this in the coming days.”
