UPL OpenAg Leap into Wellness case study

UPL OpenAg Case Study: Leap into Wellness With Step, Water and Sleep Challenges

UPL OpenAg, part of the global agricultural solutions company UPL, launched a wellness program called "Leap into Wellness" for its employees in Southern Africa. In September 2023, YuMuuv CEO Jakob Remmel spoke with Nileka Srikissoon, HR Business Partner – Southern Africa, about how the program started, what is working and what comes next.

Table of Contents

At a Glance

  • Company: UPL OpenAg, Southern Africa
  • Program: Leap into Wellness
  • Challenges: steps and water, with a sleep challenge next
  • Early participation: about 24% of head office staff in the first phase
  • Next steps: an annual wellness day, wellness partnerships and expansion to other Southern African regions

Why UPL OpenAg Invested in Wellness

UPL OpenAg's employees play a vital role in producing the products that farming communities rely on. Keeping those people healthy and well is directly linked to the quality of their work – which is why the HR team made employee wellbeing a priority.

Leap into Wellness: A Holistic Approach

Leap into Wellness was designed to support several areas of health, step by step. The program started with two challenges in the YuMuuv app:

  • Step challenge – encouraging people to break up long periods of sitting and walk more. See how to create a step challenge.
  • Water challenge – a daily reminder to drink enough water, a habit that is easy to forget on busy days. See why hydration matters.

A sleep challenge was planned as the next step, focusing on healthy sleep patterns.

Early Results

The start was slow but promising: about a quarter (24.29%) of head office staff joined the first challenges. To grow participation, the team planned motivating extras such as sweatbands and water bottles. Nileka also highlighted the ease of use of the YuMuuv app as a strength. For more merch ideas, see 100 branded merchandise ideas.

Lessons Learned

  • Timing matters. Looking back on the first phase, Nileka recognized that the timing of a launch has a big effect on engagement rates.
  • Make tracking effortless. Nileka and Jakob discussed smoother integrations with different phones and wearables to reduce manual data entry and reach more users.
  • Build step by step. Adding one new challenge at a time keeps the program fresh without overwhelming people.

What Comes Next

  • An annual wellness day and possible partnerships with gyms and other wellness providers.
  • Measuring impact through yearly employee engagement surveys.
  • Expanding beyond South Africa to other Southern African regions.

Key Takeaways for HR Teams

  1. Start with simple, universal challenges such as steps and water.
  2. Plan your launch timing around busy periods and holidays.
  3. Add small, visible rewards to grow participation.
  4. Expand gradually – add sleep or mindfulness once the basics are running. See why an annual plan beats a one-time challenge.

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