This Is Why Employees Want Massage at Your Next Health Fair
Massage at Corporate Health Fairs
Corporate health fairs are becoming increasingly more common in today’s workplaces. The vast benefits of corporate health services are something that any industry can benefit from. It is known that corporate health fairs reduce absenteeism, lower insurance costs, increase productivity and allow for early detection of many medical conditions. However, there are times when employers have trouble getting their employees to participate in these event.
Creating a more rewarding experience for your employees can ensure that more will actively participate in the event. Massage therapy is already offered regularly to employees by many of the top companies. When looking at Forbes list of the Best Places to Work For, 8 of the top 10 companies are currently offering massage and other relaxation practices to their employees as a regular practice. Here are the reasons you should incorporate massage into your health fair.
Increase Participation
Let’s face it, people don’t really like to be poked and prodded. While these biometric screenings are valuable it may be stressful for your employees. Implementing additional services that your employees will want to engage in will create a more successful program for both employers and employees. These services may include massage, healthy food classes/sampling, yoga or meditation. “It is important to see how workplaces are constantly evolving and changing,” say Heidi Golledge CEO of CareerBliss “Creating happiness at work is a very fluid process, building and adapting to a changing workforce, while accounting for the key factors that create happier environments.”
Reduce Stress
In every job there are inherent stresses, these stresses are not necessarily negative. They can help motivate a person to complete goals. However, work stress is not the only thing that your employees are experiencing. People have a lot on their plate, you don’t want outside stress to overwhelm your employees and affect their work. Michele Christiansen, Operations Manager at Colorado Health Institute explains why she implemented a chair massage program for their employees, “People were getting really stressed out, we couldn’t change the workload. What we could do is help people manage the stress of the workload.”
In a 1996 study “The effectiveness of massage therapy intervention on anxiety in the workplace” it was found that on-site chair massage significantly reduced the anxiety levels. Chair massage is an excellent fit in a corporate health setting for many reasons. Chair massage can be done in a relatively small area, and even a 5 minute massage can provide your employees multiple benefits. In a small amount of time your employee can relax their bodies and refocus their minds so that they can bring their best to their work.
Alleviate Discomfort
In every industry there are forces that can cause your employers discomfort, whether it is a sedentary desk job or one that requires you to stand all day, repetitive motion can cause problems. According to its definition by Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Program of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Repetitive Strain Injury (RSIs) is an “injury to the musculoskeletal and nervous systems that may be caused by repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, vibrations, mechanical compression, or sustained or awkward positions.” The prevalence of RSIs has consistently increased since the 1970s as typewriters and computers became an integral part of the workplace, and have increased even more rapidly since the explosion of hand held phones and devices. When discussing pain from using technology devices, commonplace words such as “ipod finger” have become part of our vocabulary.
Another common workplace issue is back pain, poor posture and improper support can lead to pain in the neck, shoulders and back. Meredith Gansrow, a massage therapist and owner of Massage On The Go USA, explains how massage can alleviate these common workplace issues. “Massage therapy aids circulation and blood flow to help the body heal itself, correct posture, relieve nerve entrapment if caused by poor posture and quiet the mind.,” she continues by saying “In addition, mini massages can act like a substitute for mediation, bringing people back into the present moment so they can focus on what is in front of them.
Massage for the Masses
On-site chair massage is a form of massage that can be enjoyed by the majority of people. This mobile massage is perfect for a corporate health fair for many reasons, it can service a large amount of people in a reasonable amount of time, it doesn’t require employees to change out of their work clothes and it can be done within a small area that doesn’t interfere with the rest of the health fair. Mobile massage is also easy to set up and break down in a matter of minutes.
Massage is a cost effective way to show your employees that you care about their well being and when an employee feels that they are appreciated they are likely to work harder and more efficiently. For the past 18 years Massage on the Go has been providing on-site chair massage for corporate events. They have the expertise to find the right massage therapists for your company, which will help relieve the stress of bringing massage to your corporation as well.