Message in Massage: Work isn’t always pain
Workers get the massage

Chandler’s Georgianna Marie rewards her employees by giving them massages at work – while they’re on the clock.

“They are getting paid and they are getting a massage, how about that?” Maria said. “They (the employees) really appreciate it and tell me they feels so much more relaxed and ready for the next big deadline.”

Marie, who owns a consulting firm called the G. Marie Group, hired a traveling massage company to reward her employees and help them relieve stress.

“We’ve used them about 12 times so far,” Maria said. “It’s challenging to come up with ways to recognize people without being cheesy. This is a nice thing to do for people who wouldn’t normally do it for themselves.”

Marie uses a new company, The Back Rub Co., based in Phoenix. Massage therapists, yoga instructors and other health professionals with the company travel to area businesses and provide a variety of services for employees, including chair massage, full body massage, yoga classes, tai chi and aromatherapy.

“We go in, we assess a company, figure out their needs are and provide a customized wellness program for their workplace,” said Tiffany Richards, a massage therapist and owner of The Back Rub Co. “The employees get a mini getaway and can relax and de-stress and be more productive at work.”

Richards and her staff provide a range of services, from quick 10-minute chair massages in the workplace to hour-long yoga classes and full body massages, depending on the needs of the company.

All of the classes and massages are done on the property of each individual business.

“We started with just chair massage but a lot of people wanted more things,” Richards said. “So we started implementing yoga, movement classes, ergonomics and breathing classes. We provide the classes and the employers provide the break time and the space.”

Some employers pay for the service for their employees entirely while others share the cost with workers who wish to try it. Richards charges $60 an hour with a two-hour minimum.

“My business is relatively small – we only have 29 people – but it (the massage) has really helped,” Marie said.