Pulse January / February 2017 | Page 41

Champagne shows that brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve one’ s ability to focus on that task for prolonged periods.

“ We often hear from our service providers that it is important for them to have an adequate rest between appointments to rejuvenate,” says Thompson.“ As such, we encourage our employees to take a few minutes to walk outside and breathe in the sea air. We also encourage therapists to offer each other reciprocal

spa services, which helps them to unwind and de-stress.”

Kolb says spa owners and managers should take a proactive approach toward educating the workforce on the importance of self-care so they can function at a high level.“ If you do see someone is struggling( I call it the‘ deer in the headlights syndrome’), give them a mental time out. Be flexible in allowing them personal time to take care of themselves so they can come back refreshed and ready to go,” she says.“ If you are seeing a stressed employee, offer to help them prioritize so everyone is working smarter, not harder. It is a good return on your investment of time if you do.”

AVOIDING INJURY Creating an injury-free and healthy work environment means providing your staff the proper training so they can perform their job correctly without injury. Many spa jobs are physically demanding, and proper training will alleviate the risk for work-related injury. It’ s also important to provide staff the proper medical benefits and access to wellness programs that may help reduce their risks of injury.

— JEAN KOLB, Owner, Jean Kolb Well By Choice, LLC

“ We encourage our franchisees to offer benefits such as regular massages for all employees at a reduced cost and reimbursement for health and fitness clubs, health and fitness events, and chiropractic care,” Evans says.

By providing the right tools, such as ergonomic equipment, work-related injuries can also be reduced.“ In our Massage Heights retreats, we provide hydraulic tables that are adjustable to the therapist and to the client, which make it easier on a therapist while performing services. In addition, the flooring we use has extra cushion to help mitigate job-related aches and pains, as well as fatigue,” she says.

She says it’ s also important that managers have an honest conversation with therapists to help identify their limitations, such as the number of hours of massage treatments they can do in a day. She also recommends providing therapists access to self-care products to use during their breaks.

In addition, Griffith says offering incentives to employees who choose to live a healthy lifestyle helps motivate them.“ We have paid bonuses to employees who quit smoking. We are happy to currently have no employees who smoke,” he says.

Unfortunately, even if you take all the preventative measures possible, accidents can happen. If a member of your staff is injured at work, be sure to take all the necessary legal steps your company requires.“ First, make sure the staff member has proper medical attention and is supported in following medical advice,” says Griffith.“ Second, identify the cause of the injury. Third, take steps to prevent it in the future, which may require better training, repairing equipment, providing safety equipment or removing obstacles.”

Whatever practices or tools you have in place, be sure to put safety and employee well-being top priority as it has a direct impact on employee morale, productivity and, ultimately, company profitability. n

FEATURED SOURCES