Corporate Wellness
Corporate Wellness
Increasingly, businesses across the United States are discovering something that athletes have known since the first Olympics; massage improves competitive performance.
Massage has become well-known for its many relaxing and health promoting benefits. You may have a pretty good idea of the benefits of receiving a massage on a massage table in a private massage office or spa setting. But you may not know about chair massage, also known as corporate massage.
You may be surprised to learn that studies have shown that chair massage can boost alertness and reduce the effects of stress, and that managers are noticing that chair massage can play a role in improving morale and reducing turnover. I’m sure you would be interested to know about a wellness program that can save you money and increase productivity.
Chair massages can reduce stress, pain and fatigue. They also can alleviate symptoms of depression, improve function of the immune system, and increase workers' ability to concentrate. Chair massage has been shown to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation while simultaneously enhancing employee alertness. Employees receiving massage show an increase in speed and accuracy on math computations. Alleviation of depression and reduction of job stress are additional benefits. We create an environment where employees can really escape from the work day and just take a moment to let the stress melt away. They return revitalized and refreshed.
Major corporations including the Ford Motor Company, American Airlines, AT&T, and American Express are enjoying the benefits of on-site chair massage therapy. They are finding that massage optimizes employee performance and helps in decreasing on the job injuries.
Statistics from the Wellness Council of America:
• 70% of workers say that job stress causes frequent health problems
• The top three prescription drugs are used for stress-related, preventable conditions
• 75-90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related disorders
• Each worker’s compensation case costs employers and insurers an average of $73, 270 in disability payments
• Preventable illness accounts for approximately 980,000 deaths annually and 70% of the burden of illness; they also account for the six leading causes of death - heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, liver cirrhosis and suicide
• Stress prevents approximately 1 million people from going to work on any given day.
Statistics from the America Institute of Stress:
• Report of the Surgeon General on Physical Activity and Health states: job stress and related problems cost companies an estimated $300 billion or more annually or an average of $7,500 per worker on an annual basis, and led to more than 1/2 of the 550 million work days lost annually.
• Study Performed by the Touch Research Institute in Miami shows: corporate wellness programs return $1.95-$3.75 per employee per dollar spent and have a cumulative economic benefit of $500-$700 per worker per year.
• Massaged subjects showed 1) decreased frontal EEG alpha and beta waves and increased delta activity consistent with enhanced alertness; 2) math problems were completed in significantly less time with significantly fewer errors after the massage; and 3) anxiety, cortisol (stress hormone) and job stress levels were lower at the end of the 5 week period.
ADVANTAGES OF WORKPLACE MASSAGE
• Immediate stress relief
• Improved alertness
• Relief of tense and tired muscles
• Increased performance and productivity
• Enhanced employee loyalty and morale
• Reduced employee absenteeism
• Energized employees and motivation to return to work
• Tax deductible as a business expense and employee benefit.
• Reduced worker’s compensation and insurance usage
