Massage therapy can be a valuable component of a work-based health program, creating employee stress-relief and positive feelings toward one’s job.
That type of offering might be needed more than ever, because new research shows today’s fast-paced, pressure-cooker work environments are creating stress and burnout, and destroying employees’ loyalty toward employers.
The research out of North Carolina State University shows an increase in certain business practices, such as outsourcing, hiring temporary workers and focusing on project-based teams, is having a detrimental effect on workers and likely poses long-term problems for employers.
“We spend a great deal of our time at work, so it is an important part of our lives,” says Dr. Martha Crowley, an assistant professor of sociology at the university and lead author of a paper describing the research. “If our work experience is unpleasant, it affects every aspect of our lives and ultimately it affects our ability to do our jobs.”
The researchers also found both short-term and long-term ramifications for employers, according to a university press release. For example, they found these business practices have led employees to withdraw loyalty from their employers; and employees are no longer as committed to their employers’ goals.
“People are still doing their jobs and many are putting in a lot of hours,” Crowley says, “but they are not doing the things they would do if they were passionate about their work.”
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