Business Concept

Employers in industry today have as their primary objectives the following:

Hence the importance of the Occupational Health field. However, "wellness" or "health" is not the sole domain of the medical practitioner, and there is an increasing trend all over the world to treat the mind, body and soul.

Holistic Occupational Stress Therapy (HOST) is the deployment of Holistic Therapies to treat Occupational Stress. Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Acupuncture, and Therapeutic Massage are some of the modalities classified under Holistic Therapies. Holistic Therapies provide a preventative, non-invasive, non-chemical, uplifting alternative method of treating stress and other ailments on a continual basis in an occupational setting.

According to Richard Gerber (1988: 435), "There has been a gradual evolution of medical thought, moving physicians’ thinking toward an appreciation of human beings as complex systems of physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual characteristics. The progressive shift toward a more humanistic medicine has been responsible for the holistic movement in health care. The reductionist model of the human machine as the sum of its component parts has not been entirely successful in providing therapeutic insights into treating disease, nor in under-standing the greater nature of human health. For in reality, humans are greater than the sum of their physical organs and nervous systems, because the physical body is not a simple closed system."

According to the World Healthcare Organization, when addressing stress you need to address the well being of the entire person as regards physiological, mental and social health (Frequently Asked Questions, 2007). The LaLonde report (1981: 6) proposes four general determinants of health. They are "human biology", "environment", "lifestyle" and "healthcare organization".

Health is consequently maintained through the science and practice of medicine but can and should definitely be enhanced and improved by individual effort. This individual effort to im-prove health includes weight loss, healthy diet, physical fitness, stress management therapy and not smoking or abusing substances (Your Questions Answered, 2007).

This trend in South Africa has started its upward swing in earnest, and InEssence is dedicated in bringing Natural Therapies to the workforce. Quality of Life is the new buzzword, and complementary medicine or integrative medicine, offering a holistic approach, has firmly staked its claim in the minds of both traditional medicine and the consumer as the means to obtain a healthy life, and by implication, longevity.

In the Occupational Health arena there is a definite place and need to include these complementary procedures in the workplace. These therapies are indicated for the following categories of ailments, either as preventative measures or to help treat the actual condition:

Operational Procedures

The client will specify the types of therapy needed on site as well as the amount of days per week and hours the service has to be provided.

InEssence will provide all the equipment needed to run the service at on-site clinics, such as massage beds, linen, and oils. The client must provide the therapists with an appropriate workspace to perform massage therapy and consultation. All therapists employed by InEssence will operate according to the Operations Manual supplied by InEssence. Any costs regards to the running of an office, such as a secretary, bookkeeper and day-to-day expenses will be calculated into the cost of the service provided. Travelling costs and AA rates on vehicle upkeep will be included in the price of the service.

Benefits to employers

Benefits to employees

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