A sobering statistic from the Global Wellness Summit 2016 Research Report states that “in the United States, where the most extensive data are available, we estimate that the costs of chronic disease, work-related injuries and illnesses, stress, and employee disengagement amount to more than $2.2 trillion each year or 12 percent of GDP.” The summary goes on to state, “Workplace wellness now represents a sizable and growing market worth $40.7 billion globally. Still, today’s workplace wellness programs only cover less than 9 percent of the global workforce.”
The better news is that wellness at work is an ongoing project for small and large companies alike to bring new energies and interest to the common office worker. The Global Wellness article continues with the following predictions:
- Companies and governments will be highly motivated to reverse the current trend of an unwell workforce.
- Wellness at work is a sustainable movement that will gain momentum across the world in the coming 5-10 years.
- Workplace wellness programs – as we know them today – will disappear.
- Individuals will take more responsibility for their own wellness in the context of work.
- Companies must adopt a culture of wellness as the default, not the exception if they want to attract and retain good people.
- Companies will recognize that doing right by employees and the community is good business.
- Governments will become more aggressive about mandating wellness, including in the workplace.
- The healthiest workplaces will be a destination where people go to improve their own wellness.
The three keys mentioned for success in wellness are better physical environments, personal interest on behalf of the employer to meet employee “kneads,” and the social and community aspects of building better and stronger relationships at work each and every day.
Corporate on-site chair massage is a program that can easily be offered at work with either the employee paid or the employer-paid program.**
To find out what massage program is best for your company, check out one of our recent blogs!
If the prediction is true that individuals will take more responsibility for their own wellness in the context of work, many employers can assist with the overall reduction of stress and pain, increase creativity, and increase productivity by offering regular on-site chair massages for a nominal cost.
Contact Janet Constantino, CEO of Massage Kneads, at janet@corporatemassagekneads.com, to get YOUR chair massage program started!
Sources:
http://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/images/stories/gwi/GWI_2016_Future_of_Wellness_at_Work.pdf
** Additional details on these programs can be found here: http://www.corporatemassagekneads.com/corporate-on-site-chair-massage-offers-flexibility-and-interest-to-large-and-small-corporations-what-is-the-best-program-for-you/
