MASSAGE SESSIONS RUB OFFICES RIGHT WAY.

Byline: L.M. Sixel Houston Chronicle

The president's office at Sun Coast Resources didn't look too presidential the other day. The lights were off, candles were lit, soft music was playing, scented oils gave off a wonderful odor and two odd-looking massage chairs took up most of the available floor space.

Kathy Lehne decided her employees needed a break, because they've been working so hard. So she hired a mobile massage company to give employees 15 minutes of neck, back, arm and hand massage. Twelve employees were chosen at random for the relaxing treat, and Lehne gave up her office for two hours for the event.

Lehne, who has had many massages over the years, figures they are so much better than going outside to smoke a cigarette or eating an unhealthy snack. ``I believe in doing a lot for employees because they are the company,'' she said.

When employees are happy, they'll keep the customers happy, she added. Other employers are also hiring massage therapists to give rubdowns to employees. Some are offering massage to relieve stress from workplace restructuring; others are offering it as an extension of employee health care.

At Sun Coast Resources, the quickie massages proved so popular that Lehne is thinking about having the massage company make a visit about twice a month to the wholesale gasoline and diesel fuel company.

Jenny Pillow, a sales representative, said the massage made her feel so relaxed that, ``I thought I was going to drool one time when my whole body felt limp.''

Workplace massage is catching on, said Luz Maya-Moore, owner of Rejuvenate, a massage therapy company in Houston. Companies are willing to pay for massage because it relieves stress, increases employee morale and decreases absenteeism.

Maya-Moore charges $150 per hour per practitioner for her corporate clients. She also teaches employees about stress reduction and sprouting techniques - how to sprout seeds, because seeds, nuts and grains are so nutritionally important.

Her company makes regular office calls to Chevron in Houston to give employees massages. And Sisters of Charity Health Care System spent about $20,000 on chair massages and stress reduction classes for employees when it went through a major restructuring last year.

The hospital wanted to do what it could to relieve some of the tension that comes when an organization shuffles job assignments, contracts some work out and eliminates other jobs altogether. It offered massages as well as help on resume writing and making a career change, said spokesman Hank Wahrmund.

A core group of 40 to 50 employees participated in the massages on a regular basis, Wahrmund said. Other employees didn't feel comfortable with someone touching their bodies - or at least doing it in an office setting, he said.

Wahrmund said he doesn't know whether Sisters of Charity will offer chair massages again. Some members of upper management thought it was a silly thing to do, and it's hard to put a dollar value on the benefits, he said.

Sterling Bank employees started getting massages after the chief executive officer told all the tellers that the next time payday fell on a Friday at the end of the month he'd hire a massage therapist, because it's such a long day.

When other bank employees heard about the perk, they wanted in on the action, so the company recently brought massage therapists back, said Karen Green, vice president and office manager. Green, along with the CEO, got full body massages while the other employees got chair massages.

``It's a great way to show appreciation, work out a few kinks, and it's a fun thing,'' Green said.

Houston Lighting & Power Co. has offered free massages to employees at its health fairs.

It's a new wave of health and fitness that seems to be in style, said utility spokeswoman Leticia Lowe. It's right in line with other employee benefits like dental and medical care that try to keep employees healthy - both physically and mentally.

But HL&P decided that since employees have had a chance to sample massage for free, they should now foot their own bills. Rejuvenate representatives come in twice a month, Lowe said.