Author: Emily Bonzi

6 Ways You Can Show Appreciation to Your Employees

Whether you own a business or manage a team, you know your employees are one of your most valuable resources. But many companies struggle to show adequate appreciation for the people working to keep the business thriving, with challenges such as daily projects with tight deadlines and continually shifting priorities. This can result in a cycle of constant turnover of skilled and talented employees. 

Showing your employees appreciation can boost morale, promote loyalty, increase productivity, and improve the overall wellbeing of your team. Creating space for gratitude and connection helps cultivate a culture that increases individual creativity, all while supporting overall company growth and expansion. We call that a win-win!

If you want to retain experienced workers with knowledge and skill of the work at hand, employee appreciation has to be a normal practice in your business. Pizza parties are a great start, but we’re pushing to help empower leaders to do more for their staff. 

Here are a few ways business owners, CEOs or company managers can show their gratitude and appreciation to employees who are making a positive contribution toward helping their company succeed.

Touch Base With Employees Regularly

Making time for daily interactions with your team is one way to connect and share appreciation. If you’re in the office, try to greet your team at the start of the day. It doesn’t have to be formal, a “hello” as you fill your coffee cup or a quick chat on the way to a meeting is all you need to check in and connect. For remote teams, make yourself available to pings and chats. Setting up a fun chat where the team can share lighthearted GIFs and stories can be a great way to connect while remote. Our BT team has a handful of chats we use, from sports to plants, crystals, and pets, and people can opt-out as they please. It’s a fun break during the day that helps to keep the team connected as humans as we log into and out of meetings.

Another way to touch base with your staff is by recognizing their accomplishments publicly during a staff meeting or by sending a personal thank you note to acknowledge your appreciation of the good work they’re doing. It’s often the little gestures of thanks that people value most. By showing your employees appreciation, you help create a positive, satisfying, productive work environment that people look forward to. You’ll also retain valuable personnel that your company needs in order to move forward in the years ahead.

 Listen & Take Appropriate Action

Listening to your employees and enacting change when necessary shows that you appreciate and value their input. Every company needs a way of collecting feedback from their workforce to get a clear picture of what’s happening at the ground level of their business. Creating space for open, honest communication is the first step, the second is taking action on the information you learn to make your workplace a better work environment for everyone.

One way to keep the lines of communication open is to set up an effective HR department that looks out for the interests of your employees. Whether your workers are airing grievances, sharing safety concerns, or seeking professional or emotional support, your company’s HR department should be able to meet their needs. As a leader, you can show appreciation for your workforce by hiring competent, caring HR people who have a heart for those who work hard to make your business succeed.

Offer a Fully Remote or Flex Schedule

Listening to your employees gives you a better idea of what works and what doesn’t work in your business when it comes to worker productivity. Ineffectual work schedules are often at the top of the list. One way to tackle this obstacle and show appreciation to those who deserve it is to ffoer flexible work hours or remote work opportunities to the hard-working members of your team. 

The last two years have taught us that many roles can be successfully shifted out of the office and into remote work. Remote work can help employees enjoy a better work-life balance, flexible hours, and the ability to work from anywhere. Meanwhile, employers can benefit from increased productivity and lower overhead costs. There are plenty of productivity-boosting benefits that come with working remotely, such as:

• No commute: This is probably the most popular remote work perk. When you work from home, you eliminate your commute entirely. This can save time and money on things such as gas, car maintenance, and so on..
• More relaxed dress code: With remote work, there’s no need to get all dressed up for an office setting. You can rock your favorite pair of sweats or yoga pants all day long.
• Increased focus and concentration: When you work from home, there are fewer distractions and interruptions. This can help you get into a flow state more easily and boost your productivity.
• Access to more flexible hours: With remote work, you often have more control over your schedule. This can be a huge benefit if you have kids, need to take care of an elderly parent, or simply prefer to work odd hours.
• Increased sense of work-life balance: When you’re not tied to a 9-to-5 schedule, it’s easier to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This can lead to improved mental and physical health, as well as increased productivity.

Overall, everyone can benefit from remote work in some way or another. It allows us to create a more productive and efficient workforce, all while a load of laundry gets washed.

Offer Time Off

Giving an employee time off is a great way to show your appreciation, especially after a particularly busy project or stressful season. After completing a major project or accomplishing a sought-after goal, schedule some paid leave for those who have earned it. You can schedule the PTO so that your team isn’t left short-handed or have employees choose a time that’s convenient or helpful for them.

Everyone needs a little R&R from time to time. It’s a good way of showing your workers you value them and their health and welfare. Time off is important to prevent burnout. A hectic work schedule that requires working late to stay on top of timely projects can put employees at risk of burnout. Burnout can lead to a range of problems, including alcohol or drug abuse. A few days off (with pay, of course) gives people time to recharge, mentally and physically. 

Offer Training and Opportunities for Advancement

Giving your employees career training, cross-training, and opportunities for advancement shows that you care about their future. Like you, your workers have goals and dreams. Most people want to advance in their careers and are on the lookout for opportunities to develop their talents and skills. If you offer training programs that help people learn and grow, it will only benefit your business in the long run. This is another one of those win-wins, as you invest in your team they increase their skill set. By giving your people opportunities to advance and take on more responsibility, you show your workers you value what they have to offer and want to invest in their future.

Invest in Wellness

Employees spend long hours at work. So it’s important to make the office as welcoming as possible. One way to do that is by providing programs and benefits that focus on their overall mental and physical health. Whether it’s on-site gym access, corporate massage, or time off to volunteer for causes they support, your employees will be happier, which will increase productivity and reduce healthcare costs.

A Little Gratitude Goes A Long Way

These are a few of the many ways you can show appreciation to your employees. In turn, you’ll retain your workforce and grow them into a tight-knit team. Employees who are valued and appreciated are happier, more productive, and more inclined to go above and beyond in their daily tasks. When you consistently show appreciation for your employees, you help establish a work culture where your people can thrive and look forward to building a future with your company.

Making mental health resources accessible for health care workers is no longer a desired benefit, but a necessity. As most doctors, hospital administrators, and patient care managers know – sound mental health requires a lot more work than the occasional day off of work. From maintaining healthy diets to company-sponsored massage, employee wellness is attainable with the right stress management program in place. 

Read on to learn how implementing just a few employee wellness best practices around your healthcare facility can keep staff in the right state of mind to continue helping those in need. 

How To Implement Stress Management Programs For Health Care Workers

When narrowing down employee wellness options consider asking your nurses, receptionists, hygienists, and administrators what they need in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Starting this conversation shows your employees that you see them as real people and not just a means to an end. This can be done in the form of an email survey or hosting a company meeting to get their feedback. Body Techniques has several options to help you implement wellness best practices specific to the healthcare industry. With our expertise, you can easily show gratitude to your employees.

Employee Wellness Ideas For Health Care Workers

We’re all too familiar with the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” This also rings true for prioritizing employee wellness. Giving your faculty and staff guidelines for maintaining a healthy work-life balance equips them with different outlets to look and feel their best. As a result, they’re happier at work and more productive in their daily roles. Our clients tend to see the most success from their company-sponsored stress management program when it’s supported by additional mental health best practices:

Keep Healthy Snacks Around The Office Or Breakroom

While everyone loves a mental health donut every now and then, we all know that sugar is one of the worst things someone can consume when they’re having a bad day. Instead of surprising the office with sweets, try keeping fruits and/or vegetables around for your employees to snack on throughout the day. If this isn’t feasible for your medical practice, an engaging alternative could be hosting a monthly potluck where everyone brings in their favorite healthy dish. These events not only build morale amongst your staff, but equip their bodies with the right foods to power through each shift.

Create A Collaborative Work Playlist

Find the right tune and you’ll improve just about anyone’s mood. If your healthcare facility allows, create a playlist that employees can add their favorite work-appropriate songs to. If your practice doesn’t have speakers throughout the office, try adding a bluetooth speaker to your breakroom or employee lounge to help ground your staff when they need to take a break.

Host Lunch & Learn Sessions

A huge part of employee wellness is nurturing growth. Host a quarterly lunch and learn session to keep staff members at the forefront of any updates either within their field, or something totally off the wall and fun!

Stress Less With Corporate Massage

Corporate massage is quickly becoming a must in terms of maintaining mental health for doctors, EMTs, nurses, practitioners, and really everyone who works in healthcare. Body Techniques has helped hundreds of medical practices empower their employees through corporate massage. The most successful? Roaming massage.

If you’re wondering to yourself, “What is a roaming massage?” It’s an all-encompassing solution for busy healthcare facilities (like hospitals and urgent care) that brings a much needed massage right to your staff. One of our certified massage therapists meets your nurses on their floors or stations and provides a chair massage. This is ideal for nurses who are sitting in front of their computers or need a mental health break after charting.

Encourage Balance, Not Burnout

Keeping your staff in the best mental state possible is essential to operate a successful medical practice. Body Techniques is here to help you turn the page when it comes to prioritizing employee wellness. By taking the time to hear what your staff is looking for in terms of work-life balance, you can create a custom program that meets their needs so they can, in turn, provide the highest quality of care to your patients.

Getting started is easy – talk to us today to learn the value of maintaining mental health at work.

The benefits of corporate massage go a long way – a really long way. Not only are routine corporate massage sessions beneficial to the staff who receive them, but your business also thrives with the newly added employee perk. Let’s be honest… Who doesn’t want to work for a company that has free massages available to anyone who wants or needs them?

Body Techniques has perfected our corporate massage services for every kind of setting. No matter if you’re looking to book a one-time employee celebration event or seeking to enhance the wellness package you offer employees, we make onboarding easy by handling the logistics.

And while we facilitate the nuts and bolts, businesses should keep a few things in mind as they prepare the office for our most popular service. In this article we’re highlighting our top 10 FAQs on how to plan for a corporate massage event.

Corporate Massage Event Planning Tips

Planning a successful corporate massage event starts with organization. At Body Techniques, we guide you step-by-step so you’re always ahead of the game. In your initial assessment, we’ll identify what kind of corporate massage you’re interested in:

• Chair massage
• Table massage
• Reflexology

If you’re in the initial decision making stage and not sure what kind of massage would be best for your employees – ask them! Taking the time to add a benefit crafted around your staff’s specific wants and needs builds trust in their employer, which ultimately helps you avoid the fallout from a widespread resignation.

Now, onto our top 10 corporate massage planning FAQs.

1. How Soon In Advance Should I Book My Corporate Massage?

We’ve found clients have the best planning experience when they book a month in advance. Sometimes this isn’t possible, so we suggest a minimum of 2 weeks to plan your corporate massage event. Learn more about how corporate massage works here.

2. What Space Or Room Should We Use For The Session(s)?

Planning a one-time event at a health and wellness conference looks a little different than a recurring in-office corporate massage. Luckily, we’ve had plenty of experience with both and found the following works best:

Special events like conferences, fairs, and conventions typically have a designated area for the massage table to be set up ahead of time. This can either be around other vendors or in a quiet space to help participants tune out the bustling crowds.

In-office corporate massage – recurring or single sessions – ideally have a space or room that’s semi-private so the rest of your office isn’t distracted. Conference spaces, communal areas, or empty offices all work well for employees to trickle in throughout the day to receive a massage.

3. How Should I Notify Employees?

We all benefit from reminders. Blame social media or a world dependent on screens, but regardless you have to have a plan when it comes to marketing your employee event! Both single and recurring sessions can be included in your internal company newsletter or distributed by email. If you have a break room, create a flyer and hang it up! Bigger corporations can task department heads with relaying the who and what to help streamline communication.

All in all, there’s never a wrong way to notify employees about a perk like this.

4. What Else Can I Do To Host A Memorable Employee Event?

We love seeing employers going above and beyond for their team! If you’re looking to add a little something extra to your upcoming corporate massage, consider one of the following:

• Company merchandise table: Think t-shirts, notebooks, tote bags, etc.
• Refreshments: Set up a table with snacks, drinks, or go all out and get lunch catered.
• Photo booth: If you’re hosting a big event, photo booths are a great way to encourage employee engagement and they’ll most likely share their pictures on social media! Two PR birds with one event.

5. Do I Need To Do Any Setup Preparations?

All you need to do is have a space for our certified Massage Therapists (MTs) to do their thing. On the day of your event, our MTs will arrive early to set everything up prior to the scheduled start time. Because each employee’s body is built differently, we take the time to listen to them and provide a comforting massage tailored to what they need. To make sure your event runs smoothly and as scheduled, you can utilize our proprietary booking software to keep everything on track.

6. What Can I Do To Promote Employee Attendance?

We already mentioned having special merch and refreshments to create interest in your upcoming corporate massage, but if you’re looking for something more, we’ve seen a lot of success when clients host raffles for prizes like full or have days of PTO. Other prizes we’ve seen include:

• Preferred parking spots
• Additional massage credits (recurring events)
• Lunch
• Technology like smart TVs and Apple products

If your organization decides to host a raffle, be sure to include it in your internal promotions of the event to create more buzz!

7. What If I Need To Cancel Our Corporate Massage Event Last Minute?

Even the most organized managers can’t plan for last minute schedule conflicts (hello COVID-19). If you need to cancel your event, notify your Body Techniques contact ASAP and we will help you navigate next steps. Never hesitate to reach out to us for additional support – we are here for you! Remember, this is all about showing gratitude for your employees. They’ll appreciate the event no matter what – even if it needs to be rescheduled!

8. How Can I Continue The Fun After The Event?

Keep the celebration going by sharing photos to your company social media accounts or add them in your next newsletter. Be sure to include any raffle prize winners should you decide to host a giveaway!

9. One-Time Events Or Recurring Corporate Massage Sessions: Which Is Better?

One-time events are great, but life happens. Deadlines creep and all employees may not be able to take advantage of this onsite benefit when the massage event is only hosted on one specific day. Instead, consider making this productivity-boosting benefit a regular occurrence in the office so that your team can all enjoy some rest and relaxation.

10. What If My Employees Cancel The Day Of?

If there are day-of cancellations, our massage therapists are able to fill those slots with employees who did not register in advance. If all appointments are filled, our MTs are able to put together a waitlist so that any last minute cancellations can be filled. We work hard to get everyone a session, and are always happy to return onsite if there are employees who did not get a chance to receive a massage.

If you do have recurring sessions and notice a large amount of employees are either cancelling or not RSVPing at all, we can support you in finding out why. Sending out an email survey or asking for direct feedback is always a great first step.

In the end, you can always rely on analytics to solidify the best next step. Body Techniques can provide you with analytics to gauge how many people received massages, cancellations, and how many people were on the waitlist.

Talk To Us About Your Corporate Massage Needs

Sometimes companies need an extra hand to manage workplace stress and show their employees they care. Body Techniques uses state-of-the art software and analytics tools to make your upcoming event a breeze. Talk to us today about how you can take your employee appreciation up a notch.

If you haven’t considered expanding your benefits package to promote a healthy work-life balance this is your sign.

Why? Employees often struggle with feeling connected to their company culture and day-to-day business operations – especially remote workers. We don’t suggest dragging your feet on this one. If your place of work stalls on improving employee benefits, the fallout could be detrimental to your long-term success.

Enhancing your company benefits to include things like virtual wellness programs not only boosts employee morale and participation but gives your employees the well-deserved mental break they need! Read on for corporate wellness activities that unite your entire workforce including anyone WFH.

How Virtual Wellness Keeps Remote Employees Connected

Virtual wellness programs are ideal for corporations or organizations that have remote and hybrid employees. Not only can they help with stress management, but these kinds of activities help promote team bonding which is essential for successful project completion, communication between departments, and independent working capabilities. When your employees are connected to their work and the people they work with, the possibilities are endless.

Bring Your Team Together WIth Corporate Virtual Wellness

Mapping out a fresh benefits package brings up a lot of questions like, “What are the best virtual wellness programs?” or, “How long should each virtual session last?” Luckily, our trainers specialize in corporate wellness to ensure this investment exceeds expectations and can walk you through the process. We’ve highlighted some of our favorite virtual wellness programs that work best for remote employees:

The Daily 15: Make The Most Out Of A 15-Minute Break

Sometimes a quick 15-minute break is all you need to reset. The Daily 15 is our quick, yet impactful virtual wellness program that boosts energy and lowers stress for remote workers. The Daily 15 has a new activity every day from self-care to fitness and even yoga! Employees also have the opportunity to see classes ahead of time so they can pick and choose what activity works best for their bodies and goals.

BT Mindful: Build Stronger Minds & Team Chemistry

Empower employees to sharpen their mind-body connection while simultaneously strengthening team chemistry with BT Mindful. This virtual wellness program can be a single workshop or is also available in four, eight, and twelve-week series. The longer your BT Mindful series, the deeper we dive into meditation, work on building healthy daily routines, and learn how to manage stress levels on and off the clock.

Tip: Not sure what virtual series employees would like? Send out a survey asking them to submit their preferences and implement feedback directly from the source!

BT Engage: Online Group Classes For Everyone

Should you want a traditional corporate virtual wellness program, BT Engage is for you. These online group classes hit four essential core areas of stress management:

• Fitness: Zumba, cardio kickboxing, or online bootcamp
• Yoga: All experience levels welcome
• Stretching: Twist and tone muscles to improve posture and pain relief that’s all to common with WFH life
• Self Massage: Get professional guidance from our trained massage therapists on self massage techniques

Virtual Wellness Comes In All Shapes & Sizes

Just like no two businesses operate the same, no two employees have the same WFH routine. Add some consistency into the mix with corporate virtual wellness activities to keep remote workers grounded to their jobs and connected with their team. Even as little as 15-minutes can strengthen our stress management skills to become the best version of ourselves. If you’re not sure what virtual program would be best for your workforce, just ask! Odds are your employees will be thankful you’re taking their opinion into account as you improve employee wellness benefits.

Start Building Your Benefits Today

Looking to build on your benefits package? Body Techniques helps hundreds of businesses make the most out of their wellness dollars and get a major return on the investment. Reach out to us today to tell us more about your current setup and goals you’d like to achieve moving forward. We can’t wait to meet you!

How many times have you had to tell yourself to take a deep breath while on the clock?

No matter what profession you work within, simple meditation practices like deep breathing can provide the mental reset you need to make conscious choices that aren’t clouded by stress. When we take the time to practice different meditations at work, we become more equipped to respond to situations versus reacting.

Should you find yourself becoming overwhelmed keep these workplace meditation practices top of mind – the benefits they reap go much deeper than we realize.

The Benefits Of Meditation For Stress Management

Before understanding the benefits of meditation for workplace stress management, it’s important to have a grasp of what mindfulness at work actually is.

At its core, mindfulness is about being present. When you are in the office or working from home, this can be a challenge. Pings, emails, phone calls – did someone bring snacks? All of these things can pull you away from the task at hand and in doing so, heighten stress and anxiety.

Bringing mindfulness to work means you truly focus on the here and now. Whether that’s a project or a conversation with a coworker you work towards eliminating the mindless chatter and truly listen. There is no magic potion for achieving mindfulness. Instead, it is a constant practice and reminder to ourselves to be present and aware.

The benefits of mindfulness – especially at our jobs – reduce the stress that bog down our productivity and general happiness. It helps lower our heart rate and anxiety. We can make level-headed decisions without sweaty palms and tension headaches. While practicing mindful meditation at work isn’t rocket science, there are a few tricks to keep in mind as your workday unfolds.

Getting started is the hardest part but once you’ve finally found your Zen the rest comes naturally!

How To Meditate At Work

It all starts with finding a moment of calm. In the meditation world, we call this setting an intention. Why do you need to meditate? What brought you to this moment? Internally repeating a short phrase to yourself can help center your workplace meditation practice. It’s also beneficial to make sure the space you’re meditating within is free of clutter and distractions. Yogis refer to this sense of purity as Saucha. One of the Niyamas of Yoga, Saucha literally means cleanliness and/or clearness.

Your intention is set and your mind is clear. All that’s left to do now is choose your meditation method.

Tune Out The Chaos

If you’re able to bring headphones or earphones to work, finding a soft meditation playlist on Spotify can help you tune the world out from your desk. Closing your eyes is encouraged because you’re eliminating any visual distractions to really transcend into your meditation session.

Walk It Out

Ever heard of open-eyed, moving meditation? This is a great meditation to do at work if you’re able to get a few steps in during lunch or a 15-minute break. Taking a walk to meditate helps us connect with nature and builds a strong mind-body connection.

Practice Breathing

If the weather isn’t permitting you to take a stroll, you can always utilize breathing exercises that you can do literally anywhere – the car, desk, breakroom, wherever! A few breathing exercises that pair well with any level of meditation are:

• Alternate nostril breathing – Inhale through your left nostril while holding your right nostril closed with your right thumb. At the bottom of your exhale switch nostrils by closing off your left nostril and continuing to exhale smoothly through your right nostril. Remove your finger from the left nostril and exhale fully. Continue alternating your breathing through each nostril for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Ujjayi breathing – Also known as the “victorious” breath, Ujjayi breath work helps calm the mind and recenter your thoughts. To begin, take a big inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth emptying all of the air out of your lungs. On your next inhale, breathe in through your nose and keep the back of the throat slightly constricted. Imagine you’re inhaling through a straw if you’re having trouble getting started. As you exhale, keep the mouth closed and think about how you would breathe out to fog up a mirror in front of you. This controlled, steady breathing is known to create energy through the body and even lower blood pressure!

Participate In A Company-Sponsored Wellness Program

They say there’s strength in numbers. Practicing meditation with your coworkers is a great way to keep anxiety at bay and build team chemistry at the same time. Body Techniques offers a variety of both in-person and virtual meditation workshops that employers can incorporate into their benefits package. Group breathing and meditation exercises help you and your coworkers relax and feel refreshed once it’s time to get back to work.

There’s No Wrong Way To Meditate At Work

Meditation has been around for thousands of years – meaning there’s really no “wrong” way to practice it. Exploring work-friendly meditation techniques opens a door to a whole new world of stress management. You can do it alone at your desk, grab your coworker for a walk, or ask your manager about a monthly company-sponsored mediation program to help everyone stay calm, cool, and collected.

We’re Here To Guide You

Body Techniques has an entire staff dedicated to helping our clients find the perfect stress management solution for their unique office environment. Even employees working from home can benefit from guided meditation practices! Now more than ever, employees are demanding legitimate benefits and healthcare perks from their employers – let us help you create a wellness program designed to keep your team happy and healthy! Talk to us today to get started.