Employee Perk

Looking for an affordable perk that both your employees and your company bank account will appreciate? Try on-site massage. It can reduce stress, help manage work-related pain from carpal tunnel syndrome or neck cramps, and even enhance productivity.

A growing number of big corporations, small businesses and even government agencies have found massage to be a low-cost investment that produces big returns. The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami in Florida has documented the positive effects of massage therapy with research that indicates a basic 15-minute chair massage, provided twice weekly, results in decreased stress and increased productivity.

Clients remain fully dressed and sit in a specially designed chair while the massage therapist works on their neck, back and shoulders, explains Marilyn Kier, a nationally certified massage therapist and owner of Wellness at Work in Wheeling, Illinois. Though pricing varies, the average hourly rate for workplace massage is $60, and Kier says she averages three employees per hour. Companies handle the fees differently: Some pay the entire fee, others split the cost with employees, and others provide the space and opportunity but ask employees to pay the full amount.

To locate a certified massage therapist in your area, contact the American Massage Therapy Association at (847) 864-0123 or visit its Web site at http://www.amtamassage.com.