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Stress Reduction: A New Employee Benefit that is 100% Tax deductible.

Robinray started her career in the coal mines of Pennsylvania until a serious back injury disabled her. The massage and breathing therapy that was a part of her two year recovery was so successful that Robin decided to train as a therapist herself. She moved to California and began offering reflexology clinics. This led to an invitation to work at an employee appreciation event for United Airlines baggage handlers, when she received a $400 ticket voucher for half day's work. Robin realized that this could be a real business opportunity and teamed up with Mindy Lederman to found TimeOut.

TimeOut's certified massage therapists will come to your company's office and provide 20 minute massages for your employees. They set up their table or massage chair in a quiet spot and provide relaxing music, fresh flowers, organic fruit and aromatherapy products; at the end of your massage you enjoy a refreshing glass of mint and lemon water. Massages focus primarily on the client's head, neck, back, arms and hands but are tailored to individual needs; in keeping with the corporate setting, clients remain fully clothed. Mindy Lederman and one of her therapists visited the BBB's, office several weeks ago. Our expectation was that we'd probably want a nap after our massage; in fact, we felt relaxed but also rejuvenated and more alert. This is in line with recent findings by the University of Miami Medical School that a 15-minute chair massage twice a week results in decreased job stress and significant productivity increases. Brain waves showed alterations consistent with enhanced alertness and simple math computations were done in half the time with half the errors following massage therapy.

TimeOut has grown fast in the past three years and now has over 20 regular corporate clients, including such well known firms as Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle and the San Jose Mercury News. Mindy and Robin employ 30 independent massage therapists to visit these clients and to provide services at a growing number of health fairs, trade shows and conventions. This may sound like a "way out" employee benefit, but it is 100% tax-deductible for employers. The cost of stress in medical and disability payments and loss of productivity to business is in the billions of dollars every year, particularly in today's office setting where many employees spend long hours hunched over a computer screen, so this is also a costeffective benefit.

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