DOES YOUR BANK PASS THIS CRITICAL STRESS TEST?

Good news from the Federal Reserve Board in late June revealed that all 33 of the largest American banks have enough financial capital to manage the stress of a severe economic downturn.

It’s easy enough to find out if your bank passed the Fed’s stress test on its financial capital. But do you know how’s it doing when it comes to stress on human capital?

The financial services industry is one of the most stressful and the toll on companies and their workers, from those at the top of the ladder to those in the trading pits to those who spend hours hunched over computers, is high, both in terms of employee wellness and corporate profitability.

Put together work and money and you have the top two sources of stress in the U.S.: work is reported by six out of ten Americans to be a significant source of stress, next only to money, cited by 64%.

Job stress costs American businesses $300 billion a year in an era when 50% of corporate profits go for healthcare costs versus only 7% three decades ago.

Stress-related ailments, including but not limited to back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, high blood pressure, low resistance to infections, depression and anxiety lead to increased absenteeism, turnover, workers compensation claims and higher healthcare costs which have a direct impact on the bottom line.

But there’s a solution – both to stress on employees and erosion of profitability due to it.

Corporate chair massage is an accepted treatment for many of the disorders that drain corporate profitability. In addition to preventing chronic conditions caused by stress, recurring massage also may create a more agile organization by increasing alertness, reducing fatigue, enhancing problem-solving, building employee engagement and fostering teamwork.

Are we saying your bank may be more profitable and become a more agile organization if it addresses work-related stress with a recurring program of chair massage?

Absolutely!