Your employees cannot afford to take time off, yet they may have to take sick leave. At the same time, your company cannot afford to spend more than the necessary budget for compensation claims. With an increasingly competitive market demanding many resources, how do you prevent frequent absences without raising your business costs?
An ounce of prevention: sports massage
One of the growing trends in motivating employees is using massage therapy, like sports massage. This technique focuses on areas of the body that are overused and stressed from repetitive movements.
While the name may relate more to athletes, this therapeutic massage is also well-suited for weekend warriors and employees performing the same daily tasks.
Sports massage can prevent work-related conditions such as back pains and repetitive strain injuries. It can also reduce fatigue for your employees. By preventing these conditions, you can decrease the number of absences and/or tardiness in your office.
Sick leaves or absences are not the only outcomes to stress our employees. When your workers are in pain, their output suffers, too. That could mean reduced productivity and diminished quality of work.
Whether you’re a small company or a big business, a decline in performance will negatively impact your organization’s reputation. And that can make it easy for competitors to grab opportunities that should have otherwise gone to your business.
What sports massage therapy can do
Injury prevention is just part of a long list of benefits your employees (and your business) can get from this massage technique. Because it also prepares the mind, not just the body, for optimal performance, you will likely get more from your employees.
Massage therapy can provide the following results:
- It can reduce anxiety and depression;
- Can improve focus, energy, and mental clarity;
- It can boost productivity;
- Can lower blood pressure;
- It can improve the quality of sleep;
- Can promote flexibility;
- It can relieve headaches.
When you translate these benefits to your business, your organization experiences:
- Reduced staff turnover, which occurs due to workplace stress and illnesses. According to Business Essentials, replacing an employee could cost a company between £12,000 and £100,000.
- Better employee morale and motivation. When you offer on-site massage therapy, your employees will recognize your concern for their health and well-being. Your employees are the lifeblood of your business. They will reciprocate with better performance when you show them that you care.
- An improved reputation in the job market will make your company more attractive to top talent. Offering sports remedial massage therapy will set you apart from other businesses. It will also highlight your effort toward responsible business practice.
As your business addresses musculoskeletal and stress-related conditions, you will provide numerous benefits.
Your business is not just delivering individual benefits to employees. The Health and Safety Executive adds that you could reap economic and management benefits.
The stressed-out workplace
According to massage therapy as part of your unique incentive, as many as 23 per cent of UK employees suffer from fatigue; one in four cases is due to work-related stress. UK workers put in more hours than the rest of Europe and are less productive.
As part of your unique incentive, massage therapy is around a fifth less productive per worker than the G7 average, 40 per cent below the US productivity level.
In addition, the Stress Management Society reveals that over 105 million days are lost to stress annually, costing UK businesses £1.24 billion.
The Health and Safety Executive notes that the primary causes of work-related stress are:
- Lack of managerial support;
- Tight deadlines, and
- Too much responsibility.
Sports remedial massage= relaxing workplace + happy employees
It’s reasonable to think that their tasks are inevitably affected when your employees suffer from such pressures. Offering massage therapy as part of your unique incentive will help them cope with stress from work. And it is the most cost-effective investment your business can make.
Since this is an investment, choosing the right masseuse or massage centre is worth it. You need to find a reputable massage service with proven credentials and licenses. Finding a massage centre that offers extensive modalities beyond the sports technique is even better. You might want to choose massages that allow employees to be fully clothed and not have to use oils for on-site sessions.
Once you have chosen your preferred massage service, you must arrange sessions that will work for your operations and employees. If an on-site massage service is not an option, arrange treatment sessions at the massage centre.
Sports recovery massage is an effective and affordable way to restore or develop employee motivation. It offers a wealth of benefits that go beyond pain management and relaxation. Incorporate this healing and energizing treatment into your health and wellness programs, and let your workforce experience all the benefits of massage therapy today.
