If you're looking for your first steps to starting an office massage program, we've got you covered. In this article, you'll learn everything you need to get started. From what to look for while researching massage companies to the best ways to communicate massage info to your staff.
7 Steps to Starting an Office Massage Program
1. Get buy-in
Whether you're an employee wanting to start a massage program, an HR director, or the CEO, your first step is to get others on board with your vision. When a massage program is started as part of a group effort rather than one person's idea, there's a better opportunity for the program to thrive.
Shape your message according to who you're talking to:
- Your CEO is probably concerned with the overall ROI of an office massage service.
- Your HR director is more curious about potential drawbacks of a massage program.
- Employees might be wondering what they should expect when they show up for a massage.
Arm yourself with some facts and then get the right people on board in order to move forward. Once you've convinced enough people that it's an idea worth pursuing, you'll want to move onto the next step: research.
Related: Workplace Massage Programs: How to Convince Your Boss
2. Research massage companies
When researching office massage service companies, you'll want to determine cost, reputation, size of the team, and overall program services provided.
A quick online search will tell you what massage companies are in your area. Keep in mind that not all massage therapists or massage companies offer office massage programs.
While looking for the best massage company for your program, check out some reviews of the company -- both on and off their website. Also look into what features the company includes in a typical massage program -- like these:
- Online scheduling
- Program reporting and analytics
- Massage therapist licensing verification
- Appointment reminders
- Dedicated account manager
3. Determine your budget
The kind of program you get will largely depend on your office massage budget. Most massage companies will have flexible program options that vary in price.
Clearly a daily massage program will cost more than a twice-per-month service. But the number of therapists you have at a time will also affect your cost. The more therapists you have at once means more employees getting massaged, but it will also increase your overall cost. So part of thinking about budget will be a decision about a daily, weekly, or monthly program.
Related: On-Site Massage: How Often is Often Enough?
For ideas on cutting costs for your office massage service, check out this article: Corporate Chair Massage Cost: How to Make it Work.
4. Plan your office massage service schedule
Scheduling goes hand-in-hand with your budget decisions. In addition to knowing how often your massage therapists will be there, you'll need to pick the specific days and times that will work best for your company.
Businesses that operate 24-hours-a-day can even find massage services that will work on all shifts.
You'll want to plan your massage service around mandatory meetings and other immovable regular events. Generally, companies have no trouble finding a window of time when a massage program won't interfere with other work schedules.
Related: Is Managing a Workplace Massage Program Too Much Work?
5. Decide on location
Next, decide on the best location for your massage program. Generally, an unused meeting room or empty office works perfectly. If there are no empty rooms available, your massage therapy company can help you get creative.
Related: Best Chair Massage Locations for On Site Massage at Work
A chair massage program won't take up too much space, but if your program includes full-body table massage, you'll need a private room.
6. Tell your team about the office massage program
Once you've nailed down all the details with your massage company, you'll want to get the word out to your staff.
Post flyers and send a company-wide email with details on the massage program. In your email, you'll want to include:
- The date the massage program will start
- The days and times available for massages
- Locations of the massages
- If the service is chair massage, table massage, or both
- How the sign-up/scheduling process works
- Clarification on payment: Are employees paying for some of the service? What about tipping?
Make sure employees know who to turn to if they run into any kind of problem or concern with the massage program.
7. Keep communication open with your massage company
Your massage company will want feedback on how the program is going -- the good and the not-so-good. So keep in touch with them about how employees are liking the program.
Does everyone like the massage therapist used for the service? Does the schedule work well for everyone? Is there any positive or negative feedback your massage company could relay to their therapists?
No topic should be off limits when talking to your massage company about your office massage program.
Disclaimer
By participating in/reading the service/website/blog/email series on this website, you acknowledge that this is a personal website/blog and is for informational purposes and should not be seen as mental health care advice. You should consult with a licensed professional before you rely on this website/blog’s information. All things written on this website should not be seen as therapy treatment and should not take the place of therapy or any other health care or mental health advice. Always seek the advice of a mental health care professional or physician. The content on this blog is not meant to and does not substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
