Corporate Chair Massage

    Adding a Wellness Plan to businesses has become a popular option for employers in recent years. “Three-quarters (75 percent) of employers offer wellness resources and information and/or a general wellness program” states the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in their press release on June 19, 2018. They go on to say that “‘employers view benefits as a strategic tool for recruiting and retention,’ said Trent Burner, SHRM's vice president of research”. 

    Showing a distinct concern for the well-being of employees is certainly a great method to boost morale. An article in the Harvard Business Review by Leonard L. Berry, Ann M. Mirabito and William B. Baun stated that “Often overlooked is the potential to strengthen an organization’s culture and to build employee pride, trust, and commitment. The inherent nature of workplace wellness—a partnership between employee and employer—requires trust. Because personal health is such an intimate issue, investment in wellness can, when executed appropriately, create deep bonds”.

    In addition to increasing morale, a wellness plan can cut down on the loss of productivity. “A 2009 study by Dr. Ronald Loeppke and colleagues of absenteeism and presenteeism among 50,000 workers at 10 employers showed that lost productivity costs are 2.3 times higher than medical and pharmacy costs. . . A variety of studies confirm the health conditions that contribute most to lost productivity: depression, anxiety, migraines, respiratory illnesses, arthritis, diabetes, and back and neck pain”

   So, the big question is: how do you incorporate a wellness program that will be utilized by employees? Adding something that is easily incorporated into a working day is a great way to ensure that employees will participate. Why might an employee choose to use the office vending machine rather than go out to lunch? Because it is quick and easy. That same employee is more likely to take advantage of a chair massage during their lunch break rather than a gym membership.

    If something is easy and available it is more likely to be utilized. A 15-30 minute chair massage is a simple and effective means of adding a healthy and relaxing benefit to any work environment. The incorporation of a relaxing atmosphere into what could otherwise be a stressful environment is a simple and effective way of changing the way an employee perceives their workspace.