An ever-increasing number of U.S. companies are not only recognizing that employee well-being is the foundation of their success, but also that their wellness programs are returning approximately three dollars in health care savings and about the same in costs associated with absenteeism for every dollar invested. These returns alone may be why approximately 85 percent of U.S. companies offer a wellness program.

“Workplace wellness initiatives are any kind of organized effort to support employees in being more human at work: moving more, eating more natural foods, finding balance, building meaningful connections and working toward a higher purpose. Done well, workplace wellness has the potential to offset the ill effects of the increasingly demanding and toxic environment and culture we live in,” advises Laura Putnam in Workplace Wellness that Works: 10 Steps to Infuse Well-Being and Vitality into Any Organization.

Locally, Monarch Wellness, LLC, in Naples, offers workplace wellness workshops to small and large businesses in Southwest Florida. “We customize workshops on team building, stress management, staff development, team goal setting and the importance of self-care within the workplace specifically to fit the needs of a particular group or business. We also have tailored them precisely for the needs of individual departments, such as those we presented to Ave International School, Florida Gulf Coast University and the school counselors of Collier and Lee counties. At the moment, self-care for stress management is our most popular workplace program,” says Kimberly Rodgers, a licensed social worker and owner of Monarch Wellness, LLC.

“One of our self-care wellness programs might include a restorative sound facilitator, a therapist and a yoga teacher that delivers a psychologically based explanation of the experience of integrative relaxation for stress management that we facilitate. Overall, we’ve seen that the most successful programs providing the best support possible for employees happen when the CEO or owner has a solid understanding of what his or her workforce’s needs are,” says Rodgers.  

Monarch Wellness is located at 1250 Tamiami Tr., N., Ste. 206, in Naples. To schedule a workforce wellness program, call 239-231-3208. For more information, visit MonarchWellness.net.