Stressed! Work-related pressures effect about five million people per year in the UK

The heat is up, thereís no air-con, you canít find any worthwhile vacancies to work on; itís your boyfriendís / girlfriendís birthday next week, but you canít afford a decent present. And your boss is asking you how youíre going to achieve your targets !



Work-related pressures effect about five million people per year in the UK, making them either ìveryî or ìextremelyî stressed, while a total of 12.8 million working days were lost due to stress, depression and anxiety in 2003/4. (figures : HSE)

Aston Taylor, the UK-based Recruit-to-Recruit Consultancy, takes this research very seriously. ëA stressed employee will struggle to be productiveí, says Vic Chuntz, Aston Taylorís CEO, ëWe do as much as we can to reduce the irritations that can lead to stress, for instance our Consultants do no cold calling at all, and they do no admin. However, we canít remove all the pressures of Recruitment. We considered the above research, and as well as wanting to avoid any legal ramifications, we wanted to help our staff feel better, so they would be more effective at workí.

Three months ago Aston Taylor contacted Cathreine Hedges, a trained masseuse and she visits the office every week to give all staff a 10 minute ëseatedí massage.

She uses one of their interview rooms, so it doesnít effect daily operations at all, and she brings all her own equipment. Catherine says: ëSeated massage uses special techniques that focus on relieving tension and any discomfort from key stress-affected areas including neck, arms, hands, shoulders, back and scalp. You can experience the benefits of massage while remaining fully clothed and without the use of oils or creamsí.

Chuntz says, ëMaybe itís a coincidence, but in the three months since Cathrine started treatment here, weíve achieved three record months !í

Catherine conducted her own poll and found Consultants commented : ëGreat feel good factor and great as company incentiveí, ëInstant de-stressí, ëDonít feel sleepy after massage, just relaxed and more alertí.

Benefits for employers include:

Lower anxiety in office, Motivates staff and increases productivity

Increases job satisfaction, Decreases absenteeism

Improves employee morale, Helps retain key staff

Helps reduce the cost associated with stress and work related illness.

Benefits for the user / employee include:

Great incentive ñ gives an opportunity to relax and refocus

Helps with problem areas such as backache, RSI and CVS (computer vision syndrome ñ including eyestrain, dry eyes and headaches). Creates a feeling of balance and calm