P&G moves to help workers, vendors hit by travel ban

CINCINNATI -- Procter & Gamble vowed to support its employees and vendors impacted by President Trump's 90-day immigration ban targeting seven Middle Eastern and African countries with heavy Muslim populations.

The Cincinnati-based consumer products giant employs 95,000 workers around the world and does business in more than 180 countries. It said none of its employees born in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen were left stranded since Trump's order was issued on Friday. But an undetermined number of workers will be affected.

Some foreign-born employees won't be able to travel abroad. Other employees originating from the seven targeted countries won't be able to fly to Cincinnati or anywhere in the U.S. from overseas markets where they are stationed.

P&G officials said the company frequently flies in leaders from around the world to Cincinnati for meetings with top executives or leaders from other divisions. The company said it's still assessing the full impact.

“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," P&G spokesman Damon Jones said. "For them, we are providing our full support and assistance during this period of uncertainty."

P&G also stressed its commitment to its workers from around the world. The company makes a point of hiring employees from around the world to ensure it best understands all the countries where it does business.

P&G doesn't have ground operations in Iraq or Syria, but has operations and employees in the other countries mentioned in the executive order.

"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,” Jones concluded.

P&G's statement came Monday after the ugliest day so far in 2017 on Wall Street as investors focused on the uncertainty brought by an unexpected Trump presidency. It was an abrupt change to the rally that has lifted markets since the president's November election.

American investors lost $175 billion on Monday, according to the Wilshire 5000, an index of most U.S. stocks.

P&G's comments echo a Sunday blog post by General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt noted his company has many employees from the seven countries and does business in many of those countries as well.

"These employees and customers are critical to our success and they are our friends and partners," Immelt wrote. He added GE will "stand with them" and work with the U.S. government to enable the "movement of law-abiding people."

Debashis Pal, professor and head of the economics department at the University of Cincinnati, said multinational companies, such as P&G and GE, would take a hit from the ban. But he added many other sectors could be affected.

Pal said health and tech companies frequently hire employees from overseas because of severe competition to hire top relevant talent educated in the U.S.

"There is a shortage when you adjust the talent pool for quality," Pan said. "The top of the class is very sought after."