According to the Business Action on Health Campaign by Business in the Community (BITC) there has been a “dramatic” increase in the number of FTSE100 companies reporting their progress on health and wellbeing using quantitative measures, up from 7% last year to 23% in 2008.

Louise Aston, campaign director of Business Action on Health, said: “Significant milestones have been reached over the past year and the issue of health and wellbeing in the workplace has, it seems, finally reached its tipping point. However, we still have a long way to go and ambitious targets to meet.

“We have committed ourselves to raising the proportion of FTSE100 companies reporting and measuring on employee health using quantitative measures from 23% to 75% by 2011.”
Speaking at The Business Action on Heath Work Well International Food Fest in London, Christine Hancock, director of Oxford Health Alliance, addressed the problems in promoting health and wellbeing to employees.

She said: “The problem at the moment is that we do not get the ‘Heineken effect’. Initiatives do not reach all parts of organisations. Initiatives mostly address employees who are fitter or already interested.”

She praised businesses that have made moves in this area. “What we need are really simple key performance indicators – for example, find out how many smokers there are in a workplace and focus reducing this number or find out employees’ body mass indexes and reduce these. Really simple things can have much more benefit.”

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Office Massage – the manipulation of the soft tissue of the body – has been used as a healing therapy for many years, however the use of traditional massage techniques date back much further in history.

Records dating back to 2700 B.C. show that in China massage was used to treat paralysis, chills and fever. Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician writing in 400 B.C., recommended that physicians should treat sports and war injuries with massage and rubbing.

The ancient cultures of Japan, Egypt, Rome and Arabia all considered massage to be calming, soothing and relaxing, and also very important as a healing therapy. Now, in the 21st century, there are many different kinds of massage therapies available such as Office Massage, each of which offers specific benefits to the mind and body. In addition, there are some highly specialised Office Massage techniques which are specifically designed to meet the needs of clients at certain, very special times in their lives.

Office Massage uses either the therapist’s hands to manipulate the body’s soft tissue, especially the muscles. Not only does Office Massage feel great, Office Massage has also been shown to provide tangible health benefits which is great for both the recipient and their employers. These forms of specialised Office Massage can be used to treat a wide range of conditions including stress, insomnia and general aches and pains. Office Massage relieves the symptoms of stiff, tired joints, speeds up digestion and encourages improved circulation, promotes relaxation and improved sleep. Clients who have experienced these forms of specialised Office Massage report that they find the treatment soothing.

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We all know the immense pressure for players to stay alive in high stakes poker tournaments and the built up stress and tension that’s caused for sitting hunched over for hour after hour.

Luckily Five Minute Angels provides onsite event massage specialists who are trained to help venues ensure that their clientele are refreshed and relaxed.

Event massage is a growing phenomenon with both casino managers and poker tournament event organisors beginning to appreciate the true value of onsite massage being provided by highly trained and glamorous masseuses.

Players are encouraged to request an event massage from one of the circulating masseuses so that there is minimum disruption to play. As a result, the Five Minute Angels team remain very much in the background keeping everyone who benefits energised whilst the main focus remains on the game itself. Event massage can also help recipients to continue playing for longer at their peak performance which is great news for both the player and the venue. For more information regarding event massage visit the Five Minute Angels website.

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The figure for absenteeism is at least £662 per employee, according to Hewitt Associates, although this rises by as much as 60% once indirect costs such as lost productivity, overtime and recruitment are included.

The survey showed that many companies could be underestimating the extent of absenteeism in their organisation because less than two thirds of respondents said they properly record it.

Unsurprisingly, the biggest causes of absence were found to be flu, musculo-skeletal injuries and stress and depression. More than half of employers (56%) stress is an issue in their organisation – but only a third provide stress coaching for managers.

James Kenrick, head of UK corporate healthcare consulting at Hewitt Associates, said: “The report makes it clear that stress is predicted to be the main cause of employee ill-health in the next three years. If the UK economy worsens, stress levels can undoubtedly be expected to rise further, making this the biggest threat to employee health in the UK.”

Hewitt Associates, however, estimate that if employers implement employee wellbeing schemes such as office massage, gym membership or healthy eating programmes, they will see a return on investment of £3 for every £1 that they spend.

Kenrick added: “Reducing absenteeism is the ultimate goal for employers. To achieve this, they need to approach the problem of stress from a total health management perspective. This means collecting quality data on the reasons behind absenteeism and developing a co-ordinated programme to encourage good health in their workforce.”

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Office Massage could play an important role in companies across the U.K. as workers turn to alcohol, smoking and comfort eating to deal with the rising stress of their jobs, warns The Stroke Association and Siemens.

In a joint report, they found almost a quarter of staff (23%) said they would smoke more to deal with stress, while more than a third (34%) said they would drink more.

The worst sector for drinking was marketing, where 59% drink said they were drinking more than usual to combat the stress of their job. Having a masseuse provide regular Office Massage would certainly help, but may be only part of the solution.

The recruitment sector was deemed the most stressful, with 82% of recruitment consultants reporting regular stress. The legal sector followed closely behind with 78% of employees feeling the pressure.

Joe Korner, director of external affairs for The Stroke Association, believes that it is up to employers to do more to encourage staff to de-stress, especially through regular exercise. Otherwise, he warns, there could be dire implications for employees’ health.

Eating more to combat work-related stress was the answer for 43%. Just 13% take exercise to let off steam.

Korner said: “Stress is undesirable and responding to it in the wrong ways, for instance by drinking excessive alcohol, over-eating or smoking, can all lead to high blood pressure which is the single biggest risk factor for strokes. Stress is a major issue for people of all ages, especially those working in stressful occupations.”

For more information about Office Massage or to learn how onsite massage can help combat workplace stress visit www.5minuteangels.com

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Many organisations face the stiff challenge of attracting and retaining good employees, as the most valuable employees can often take their pick of excellent jobs due to their high qualifications. Whether your company uses corporate massage through a regular employee wellness or benefits package, or as part of an incentive program, a chair massage program can be an asset to your human resource department and your company.

The number of organisations that offer corporate massage therapy to lower stress and improve productivity is growing every year. A workplace massage therapy program can help to increase job satisfaction and create a caring environment that employees really appreciate. And a corporate massage program can even help attract skilled workers in the first place!

Corporate massage has quickly become one of the most popular and requested benefits in the workplace today. The physical demands of long hours at the computer and the high stress of the new marketplace have made all forms of work stress reduction increasingly necessary. A good chair massage reduces fatigue and tension for greater productivity and safety.

So just what is corporate massage? Corporate chair massage focuses on the upper body areas that often cause problems for people who sit at a desk or use a computer keyboard. Chair massage can help prevent or relieve carpal tunnel syndrome, tension headaches, neck pain, and back problems. This chair massage technique is performed in your normal work attire and requires no oils. Instead of using a table, the massage takes place in a specially designed portable massage chair provided by the chair massage therapist. Leaning forward in the chair allows you to relax completely with your head resting in a comfy face cradle lined with a soft, disposable cloth cover. The therapist(s) will bring everything that they need, including massage equipment and supplies. All you need to provide is some quiet space and eager participants. Corporate massage typically takes about 10, 15 or 20 minutes, no longer than a coffee break, but is far more effective!

Take a look below and ask yourself if any of these benefits could help you or your company:-

Reduce Stress: The overall corporate massage session is designed to reduce physical as well as mental stress.

Increase Morale: Chair massage is an effective benefit that shows employees that your company cares about their mental and physical health.

Decrease Repetitive Stress Symptoms: Problems like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis are examples of injuries associated with repetitive actions. This type of work leads to chronic tightness and physical injury. Corporate massage helps to reduce this chronic muscle tightness and help to educate clients on correcting posture, stretches, and self-help.

Increase Range-of-Motion: Range of motion is decreased by chronic tension; corporate massage can reduce tension and tightness, thereby increasing range of motion.

Reduce Muscle Soreness: Poor posture and chronic tension lead to soreness and pain. By reducing the tension through corporate massage and educating your employees on posture, corporate massage can help eliminate pain of this nature.

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Five Minute Angels has been providing first direct offices with professional office massage masseuses on a regular basis as part of the company’s policy to maximise employee well-being.

first direct’s People Experience Analyst Angela Parkes says: “first direct is renowned for its mission to pioneer amazing service for its customers and good employee engagement and motivation is key to that mission.

“Five Minute Angels’ office massages have helped with that, with employees commenting that they feel much more refreshed and energised after only a few minutes without the need to disrupt their busy schedule”.

The entrepreneur behind the business says he is not surprised that the business is taking off well.

He says: “Having worked previously for large multinationals, I recognised that stress and sitting for a long time in front of a computer had a significant negative impact on people’s well-being and performance. Our service provides a cost effective way “It’s not just about our Angels giving exceptional office massages – our unique focus ensures that the whole interaction is exciting, invigorating and most importantly, fun. We can also work miracles at corporate and social events, treating staff and guests to a office massage that cannot fail to impress”.

“Our prices start from £40 per hour per Angel and our most popular package is the ‘Angel Experience’ which consists of two of our Angels providing either 5, 10 or 15 minute office massages for a full day”.

See our office massage packages for more information.

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