IPA Case Study: Role Models, Recognition and Rewards in Workplace Wellness

What keeps employees taking part in wellness challenges year after year? At IPA, an Estonian manufacturer of complex electromechanical assemblies, the answer is a culture of recognition: leaders who lead by example, regular celebrations and varied rewards. IPA has used YuMuuv since February 2020 – here is how they built that culture.

At a Glance

• Company: IPA, manufacturer of complex electromechanical assemblies, Estonia
• Using YuMuuv since: February 2020
• Approach: leaders as role models, monthly recognition, varied rewards
• Recognition: health-promoting employer designation in Estonia

The Goal

IPA wanted to support the wellbeing of a diverse workforce – improving physical health while strengthening community spirit and helping retain employees. The aim was a culture where wellness achievements are celebrated and people are motivated to take part consistently.

What IPA Did

1. 1. Leaders as role models

• Senior management, including the CEO and department heads, actively took part in the challenges.
• Their participation was shared in company communications, and the company newsletter regularly featured their wellness journeys and what they gained from them.

2. 2. Celebrating achievements every month

• A monthly recognition program celebrates employees who meet or exceed their wellness goals.
• Achievements are acknowledged publicly, with leaderboards shared on the company intranet.

3. 3. Varied rewards

• Rewards range from financial bonuses and gift cards to health gadgets.
• Annual awards recognize the most consistent participants and those who improved the most – not just the most active.

Recognized as a Health-Promoting Employer

IPA has been awarded the health-promoting employer designation in Estonia, helped in part by the engaging challenges it runs in YuMuuv.

Results

• Higher engagement: public recognition increased participation in wellness challenges.
• Stronger community: celebrating successes and role models built mutual support and better teamwork across projects.
• Sustained participation: varied rewards kept the program fresh over the years.

Employee feedback has been very positive, and IPA plans to keep evolving the program with new challenges and rewards.

Key Takeaways

1. Leaders go first. Visible participation from management signals that wellness matters.
2. Celebrate regularly. A monthly rhythm keeps achievements visible – the announcements feature helps share them.
3. Reward consistency and improvement, not only top performance, so everyone has a chance.
4. Vary the rewards to keep interest high – see our rewards guide and what employees prefer as prizes.

More stories: case studies. Book a demo to build a culture of recognition with YuMuuv.