NATIONAL WEBINAR EXPLORES HOW EMPLOYERS CAN BETTER SUPPORT WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

iHealthOX CEO Terri Storey and national experts explore women-focused workplace issues

TORONTO, May 13, 2022 /CNW/ - As employers across Canada struggle to better attract and retain employees post-COVID world, five successful Canadian businesswomen provided their unique perspectives and advice in a free national webinar titled Benefiting Women: Strategies and Steps to Uplift Women in the Workplace! yesterday. The free webinar is available for viewing here.

The webinar was hosted by CloudAdvisors, a Canadian employee benefits marketplace. Among the webinar's goals is to give employers an opportunity to learn more about women-focused workplace issues. By revising policies and benefit plans based on deeper understandings of the cultural and socioeconomic needs of their employees, employers will be able to better support all groups within their workforce including women, people of colour, members of the LGBTQ community, Indigenous peoples, those with visible and invisible disabilities, and others.

"The topic of women in business and uplifting women in the business world is something every employer should be working towards a deeper understanding of," said Terri Storey, Co-Founder and CEO of iHealthOX. "It's through conversations like this that we can broaden our understanding of niche employee needs within the workplace and get ahead of helping our employees where they need it most before it impacts employers and their businesses."

The webinar panelists included:

• Terri Storey is a leader and visionary in the field of mental health, with more than 20 years of experience. Currently, Terri sits as CEO of iHealthOX, an online platform that harnesses technology to empower employers and members to enhance access to quality healthcare, drive personalization, and reduce health care costs. Terri also founded Terrace Wellness Group, one of the largest treatment organizations in Ontario.
• Meghan Vallis is an HR & Group Benefit Leader and the Group Sales Vice President at Equitable Life of Canada. She is passionate about helping employers transform their employee benefit experience to what she calls "braggable" benefits. People rely on Meghan for her unique perspectives in the industry, and she is a go-to resource for industry colleagues and clients.
• Jen Murtagh is an award-winning C-Suite leader, who has led national campaigns on anti-bullying, vulnerable youth and advanced gender equity through her work with a variety of women's organizations. In 2021, Jen co-founded Maturn, Canada's first maternity leave program, which helps build inclusive and equitable organizational cultures by supporting mothers throughout the maternity leave lifecycle and through their transition back to work. Its mission is to turn the motherhood penalty into the motherhood opportunity.
• Sally Hagan has 23 years' experience in the benefits sector, specializing in mid to large group benefits consulting and working with clients to harmonize benefits strategies globally. She is currently the leader of NFP's Benefits, Retirement and Group Benefit MGA businesses.
• Tara Wood is the founder of Purpose Communications and the President of Conceivable Dreams, a volunteer run patient organization that advocates for more affordable and accessible fertility treatment and more inclusive and family-friendly benefits for current and future families.

Among the many topics discussed were:

• diversity and inclusivity in the workplace;
• strategies for employers to be more responsive to the needs of women;
• the importance of feeling one "belongs" at their workplace;
• infertility benefits and strategies for employers to support the mental health of women struggling with the stigma of infertility;
• the benefits women really want from their employers;
• how employers can better support mothers and parents in their workplace;
• revolutionizing the maternity leave experience; and
• how employers can create a more flexible workplace culture through benefits.

"I want to thank CloudAdvisors for the opportunity to share ideas and perspectives with such an amazing group of women," said Storey. "While there clearly is work to be done, yesterday's webinar provided us with a wealth of ideas and inspiring examples of how uplifting women in the workplace is the right thing to do and should be a strategic priority for employers looking to position themselves for long-term success."

About iHealthOX

iHealthOX is a health and wellness benefits company for employers that is revolutionizing the delivery of primary and mental health care in Canada by using data and advanced technologies to turn healthcare costs into a high value investment. Through holistic health care plans that use apps, surveys, self-serve digital courses, and personal health coaches to monitor the health of employees and their families, iHealthOX is transforming health care from a reactive to proactive health care benefit that reduces absenteeism and increases employee productivity. For more information, please visit www.ihealthox.com.

SOURCE iHealthOX