Recovery Friendly Workplace

Rathbun Insurance: Fostering a Recovery Friendly Workplace

Rathbun Insurance, led by President Laura Marie Stoken, has made a significant commitment to its employees, clients, and community by becoming a Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW). The organization’s core value, “Being There Matters Most,” is reflected in its dedication to creating a safe, supportive, and stigma-free environment where all team members can thrive. Recognizing that recovery is an integral part of overall wellness, Rathbun Insurance ensures that anyone seeking resources, understanding, or connection will find support within the company. This initiative is a daily expression of the company’s values of compassion, inclusion, and community care.

The journey to becoming an RFW was deeply personal for the leadership. Laura Marie Stoken shared that sobriety began at age 19, a time when navigating professional environments often meant being the youngest—and sometimes the only—person openly in recovery. Many workplaces lacked the understanding or resources to support sobriety, which could lead to feelings of isolation. Today, both Laura Marie Stoken and Ben, another leader at Rathbun Insurance, are in recovery. Together, they have built a workplace where recovery is recognized, respected, and supported, allowing individuals to feel safe, valued, and successful. The company takes pride in lifting up recovery as a strength rather than a stigma.

The process of becoming an RFW was described as thoughtful, collaborative, and education-focused. Rathbun Insurance invested time in understanding what it truly means to be a Recovery Friendly Workplace, engaging in meaningful conversations with the leadership team, and aligning the initiative with the company’s values. This approach reinforced their commitment to a supportive culture and provided tools to better support one another.

Since adopting the RFW model, Rathbun Insurance has seen a strengthened culture of compassion and connection. The initiative has increased awareness, reduced stigma, and encouraged more supportive conversations among staff. Employees now have a space where they can feel seen and valued as whole individuals, and there is a shared sense of responsibility in looking out for one another. The company’s motto, “Being There Matters Most,” is not just a tagline—it is reflected in daily interactions.

For organizations considering the RFW initiative, Rathbun Insurance offers this advice: There is tremendous power in creating a space where people feel safe to share their experiences—a problem shared is truly a problem cut in half. Organizations do not need to have all the answers to make a meaningful difference. Providing resources, understanding, and shared language can profoundly impact someone in recovery. Becoming a Recovery Friendly Workplace signals that no one has to face life’s hardest challenges alone, and that support is available right where they work.