Harvard Therapeutic Massage

Benefits for Employee/er

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"Company Karma"

  Benefits to the Employer:

bulletIt reduces stress.  Stress costs you money.  Stress on or off the job costs U.S. workplaces an estimated two hundred billion dollars a year in reduced productivity, accidents, compensation claims, absenteeism, employee turnover, and health insurance and medical expenses.
bulletIt's easy to arrange  We can customize our services to your needs and we will then manage the program.
bulletIt's cost effective
bulletIt excels as a wellness program  Regular massage helps people feel better and can motivate them to take care of themselves with diet, exercise, or other lifestyle changes. People really enjoy their massage and it yields immediate results. Most other wellness programs take months to show results.
bulletIt's a versatile benefit, too

Massage is a great way to:
bulletRecognize birthdays
bulletProvide relief to personnel working overtime on special projects
bulletShow appreciation or use as an award or incentive
bulletUse as a bonus for achieving company and individual objectives 

Benefits to the Employee:

bulletReduces muscle tension and the pain it causes
bulletCalms the nervous system, increases circulation, which boosts energy and alertness
bulletHelps staff identify and release tension on their own
bulletProvides a complete change of pace so the body and mind can relax and rejuvenate

Research Findings 

bullet"Stress-related illnesses cost U.S. industry more than $150 billion annually," asserts Dr. Peter Hanson, author of The Joy of Stress. That figure includes, for example, more than one million days of absenteeism and more than $20 billion in worker compensation costs each year-- -costs that can be traced directly back to stress. In fact, to bring it down to a more personal scale, "The average stress-related workers’ compensation claim costs employers at least $13,339." (National Council on Compensation Insurance)

Those numbers are nothing to sneeze at, whether you’re a Fortune 500 or a small business owner. Stress not only costs in terms of employees missing in action, but also in lowered productivity, job turnover, healthcare costs, and employee burn-out. While on-the-job stress cannot be eliminated entirely, massage can help manage it.

bulletUniversity of Miami School of Medicine’s Touch Research Institute studied job stress and mental functioning (Health, October 1995, Katherine Griffin). One group was given 20-minute seated massages twice a week; the control group was instructed to do isometric exercises for relaxation. The massage group showed less anxiety and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. "What’s more, the massaged group, despite being physically relaxed, was more alert after the massage than before. Those who got massages were able to do math problems in half the time and with half as many errors as the control group."
bulletA similar study conducted at Bowling Green State University (Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, June 1996) concluded that one 15-minute massage per week reduced employee anxiety levels, leading to "better morale, improved productivity, better decision-making and ultimately better performance. From a cost perspective, this study provided support for  the positive effects of massage therapy intervention in a context that is...feasible for the work environment."
bulletArizona State University (Gale, 1992) examined the effects of a daily neck and shoulder massage for 23 critical care nurses for a six-week period. The massage group was given a 10-minute massage plus a five-minute rest period. A control group took a 15-minute break from their work each day. "Both groups demonstrated a reduction in stress, however the massage group demonstrated a greater decrease."

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280 Ayer Road, rear

Harvard, MA  01451

978-772-0903