More than 2/3 of South Africans Struggle with Workplace Stress - Survey Findings @YuLife

Hi Guys, 

A new survey by YuLife and IPSOS reveals interesting facts about South African employees and the challenges they face.

A recent survey conducted by YuLife, an insurtech start-up dedicated to transforming the nature of insurance, and IPSOS, found that 85% of South Africans grapple with stress at their jobs but that only 39% of employees find their wellbeing programmes “fairly effective”. Another 32% of respondents found their well-being programmes ineffective. The study’s research forms part of an enlightening new ebook from YuLife titled, ‘How to build a winning South African workforce’’, which went live on November 15th2023. By taking a deep dive into employee wellbeing management within organisations and examining how employers can create truly engaging wellbeing solutions, this ebook is set to become the gold standard for local companies looking to build high-performing teams.

Jaco Oosthuizen, co-founder and Managing Director of YuLife South Africa says, “Unfortunately, South African employees have some of the worst mental health in the world and are desperately looking for ways to improve that. Employers and HR leaders are trying their best to support their employees but don’t have a lot of concrete data at hand, so we gathered the research to assist, inform and enable employers to understand what employees in SA value at work.

One of the starkest findings was that only 28% of respondents reported feeling cared for by their employer. These findings suggest that there are opportunities that employers can take to improve their workplace wellbeing offerings and align them with what employees really need.

It is not all about money.

According to the survey, more workplace benefits like better healthcare or improved pension plans would be enough for 51% of employees to remain with their employer.

While we often think money is many employees' only motivation, the survey shows that most people want to be able to manage their wellbeing better and are likely to choose organisations that help them do that. The survey comes during Mental Health Awareness Month and during a time when holistic wellbeing, particularly mental health support has become a key focus for employers. It also helps shed light on the challenges faced by South Africans grappling with their mental health in the workplace.

YuLife is a new entrant into the insurance and wellbeing space in South Africa and has been transforming the employee benefits market by rewarding employees for healthy living. One of the ways it does this is through an innovative app that supports mental, physical, and financial wellbeing. It uses gamification mechanics, underpinned by behavioural science to encourage high levels of employee engagement.

“By turning these aspects into meaningful and positive behaviours, we have managed to create an app with the highest engagement numbers on the market. We don’t state this to amplify ourselves, but rather to express that we are tangibly helping people set, and stick to small achievable goals that lead to long-term wellness benefits,” says Oosthuizen.

How to keep employees happy

The YuLife and IPSOS study clearly highlights the fact that company culture, flexible working conditions, and training opportunities were among the most eye-catching factors for individuals looking for an employer. The ebook goes even further covering trends, how to use wellbeing data to build winning teams, how to get the best out of hybrid workforces and more.

The study found that 36% of employees considering leaving their employer would be persuaded to stay if they got a greater allowance for leave days or more training opportunities; additionally, 179 out of 500 respondents said a lack of recognition would lead them to consider leaving.

“Companies need to rethink how to engage employees’ wellbeing and get meaningful buy-in from their staff which in turn will drive productivity,” says Oosthuizen.

However, it is not all doom and gloom. Roughly 56% of employees say their employers collect feedback on employee satisfaction while just over half of employers collect information about their workforce’s physical and mental wellbeing.

Encouragingly, 72% of employees believe that their feedback regarding improvements to employee wellbeing programmes would likely be taken into consideration. That shows how employers who care are already trying to bridge the gap between themselves and their employees’ expectations. This can be extremely beneficial to businesses and the economy. Given the current economic climate, and the cost of ignoring it, ensuring that employees’ wellbeing is looked after may be one of the few steps that every organisation can take to help contribute to the country’s bottom line.

‘How to build a winning South African Workforce’ is available from November 15. To help give your organisation the edge, click here to get access to the full ebook today!

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish

Thanks! Cheers!!!

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New Year Resolutions - Week 25 Achievements & Failures in 2023 #TheLifesWay

Hi Guys,

Week 25 has been the week where I started walking once and hopefully, it will continue for the rest of the year as well. Also, the Yoga Day for 2023 is planned to happen this week at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium so it's going to be great day with family and friends. 

1. Thank You - The count started from 2000 onwards to reach 55000 and then the counter again went back to zero or got reset. The whole exercise is bringing all the great things of life to me as this month the blog has really picked up and this is getting to a point where it will reach more than the maximum pageviews in a single month and crossed 4.1 Million pageviews. The last time I reached was in July-205 where I reached 123026 pageviews in a single month. This was due to the fact that I won the Grand Finale Winner of the Samsung Blogger Challenge. I am sure this month I am going to break this record and also set a new target for the future to achieve. 

2. Yoga Day - Yoga Day has been the consistent effort of the Indian Government for the last many years since 2014 when it came into existence as a whole. This year PM of India went ahead and celebrated the same in the United Nations where there were more than 190+ countries representatives who participated in the Yoga to be part of the Guinness Book of Word Records for most nationalities participating in the activity in New York. 

It was a great event which was really planned well in Johannesburg, South Africa by the Consulate General of India and their team members. We met a lot of friends, colleagues and made new ones as well at the DP World Wanderers Cricket Stadium. Also, the party continued till the time all stalls were packed up and then the party shifted to one of our friend's house and continued till late night. 

3. Healthy Efforts - I did take the Vitamin B12 injection after a long while as I felt down in my daily energy levels from the past many months. It really helped me to gain some level of high energy levels if all your iron and vitamin levels are fine. It really helps if you are eating pulses, green vegetables and fibrous products. 

4. Social Media Campaigns - I got paid ZAR 500 for one of theSalt video campaigns and as I told you in my previous post that cash is king. I also won a gift voucher at Yoga Day for ZAR 1000 for the Yoga posts competition on their Facebook page. I also got some YuLife gift vouchers from ZAR 500 with which I also bought some stuff which will be showcased in the future on my YouTube channel as well. 

5. YouTube Shorts - I am soon going to cross 1 Million views on my YouTube channel as well. It just needs a little push and I will cross the same. If you have not seen the channel please do and you will find something for sure amongst all the 1100 videos (600+ Shorts) available on my channel. I also applied for Rain One where I am getting 2 SIM cards with some data and talk time to play with as well. It's the same amount of charges I was paying for my 100Mbps connection but R40 less now to pay. 

Overall, it was a week of meeting people and enjoying their company. Sometimes the random meetings go into becoming long conversations which will really bring out the best in all of us. 

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for historical tech, new gadgets, stationery, product reviews
and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay Link to all social media platforms - https://t.co/gUHjo8DQ7h
Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 10.5 Years!

New Year Resolutions - Week 16 Achievements & Failures in 2023 #TheLifesWay

Hi Guys, 

Week 16 also focussed on a lot of launch events and movies. I really enjoyed my time this week on Planet Earth. 

1. Entertainment - I watched a lot of movies starting from as old as Satte pe Satta starring Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini. The movie has a great storyline along with some of the great songs I still love to sing along like Dilbar Mere, Mausam Mastana and Pyar Humein Kis mod pe le aaya. 

Then I went on to watch another movie - A Man Named Otto starring Tom Hanks that really tells you a lot of humanity and kindness. These are the two things you have to live for and imbibe in your everyday behaviour. I also completed the second season of Rocket Boys and it was really an eye-opener. 

I also watched another movie Kanjoos Makhichoos starring Kunal Khemu and it's really a satire on the government officials and some of the money that's granted by the government in case of death during natural calamities or accidents. I also watched some episodes of Kapil Sharma Show on Youtube but it is shorter as the songs etc are all taken out so you don't enjoy it as much as you will on SonyLiv or Sony TV live. 

2. Launch Events - I attended the YuLife Insurance media invite lunch event at The Leonardo in Sandton. It was really a great meeting to know more about the insurance products and the market as a whole. I asked a lot of questions and the team replied to me with sincerity and humbleness. I also attended their second event for a few minutes which was for the general public and came back home after eating some breakfast at The Tryst. I am still using this app to take care of my mental and physical health as there are great apps integrations with other apps to do meditation and exercises. 

Another event I attended was for Bambanani introducing an app for primary and pre-primary school kids to learn and grow their skills. Another book launch I attended for Jess Robus and a wine expo where I got bored as I don't drink so was drinking cold water in a wine glass. Some of the events you should say no to from the start as I knew that the time is going to get wasted in them. Decide what to do with your time rather than going for new. 

There was another online event for YouTube Shorts - PullUpYoShorts that I attended. This year so far I have not received anything from YouTube as a gift. All gifts that I have received are from the last year. 

3. Thank You - I carried on my counter to start from 7000 onward to complete it to 24000 and then it remained at that mark for the rest of the week. 

4. Humanz - I did another campaign for them on Twitter and I really love the same as it earns me some amount of cash that I can use to buy stuff I really want or don't want at all. Some of this is spent on impulse shopping for sure. 

5. YouTube - I posted around 4 long-form videos during the course of this week. I really enjoyed opening my first Kaweco Brass Sport Fountain Pen that's really heavy. Also, I enjoyed opening up the goodies received from Melon Mobile and YuLife Insurance App. Some of the goodies are already being owned by people who know me as I generally give them away to my family and friends who want to use them and enjoy them on their special days like birthdays and anniversaries. 

I hope you are enjoying my videos and these articles as I look forward to bringing you a personal touch to my mindset and activities that I am spending my time on. It may look like a waste of time afterwards but you can decide for yourself if the same has helped you grow or made you think in any way then it's for the best. Enjoy your small life here on Planet Earth as extinction is near just like Dinosaurs thought they will outlive the planet but change is the only thing that will remain consistent. 

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish

Thanks! Cheers!!!

https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for historical tech, new gadgets, stationery, product reviews

and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay Link to all social media platforms - https://t.co/gUHjo8DQ7h

Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 10 Years!

Transforming the Insurance & Wellbeing Industry in #SouthAfrica is @YuLife #InsureTech

Hi Guys, 

YuLife, leading UK Insurtech, Expands to South Africa to Transform the Insurance & Wellbeing Industry Following a successful launch in the US, the global tech-driven financial services provider is redefining insurance with well-being, engagement and rewards that inspire life for South African employees

YuLife, the tech-driven financial services provider on a mission to inspire life, today announced its launch in South Africa. Founded in London in 2016, YuLife achieved rapid traction in the UK insurance market through its flagship product, group life insurance. The company's expansion into South Africa marks a significant milestone as it seeks to redefine how people worldwide derive value from financial products.

YuLife’s Group Risk Protection (Life, Income Protection, Lump Sum Disability, and Funeral Cover) includes everything in a traditional group insurance policy – but also adds a globally award-winning well-being app and trusted support services. YuLife harnesses the latest trends in behavioural science and game mechanics to encourage employees to make proactive lifestyle changes, while also prioritising prevention by de-risking individuals through healthy activities.

Gamification ensures that YuLife attracts unrivalled levels of engagement which is valued and enjoyed by all employees. The YuLife app enables employees to complete everyday wellness activities, such as walking, meditation, and cycling, in order to earn YuCoin, YuLife’s virtual well-being currency. Members can then use their YuCoin to buy vouchers for groceries, data, fuel, clothing and more from leading brands, or to improve the world through donating meals, planting trees, or cleaning the ocean. By incentivising healthy living, YuLife provides employers with a way to simultaneously boost retention rates, improve employees' standard of living, and safeguard their loved one's financial future.

In addition to day-to-day well-being, YuLife provides critical well-being tools and services to further prevent illness, both mentally and physically. All employees with YuLife get access to a virtual GP service through Kena Health, counselling and advice through ICAS, alongside access to multiple well-being apps like Meditopia and Fiit. 

“South Africa has the second highest insurance penetration globally, making it a perfect market for YuLife to expand into and showcase its innovative approach to insurance,” said Jaco Oosthuizen, YuLife Co-founder and Managing Director of YuLife South Africa. “There has been a big shift toward health and wellbeing in the workplace, with more and more companies adding new initiatives and resources to their employee benefits packages. YuLife is launching in South Africa to offer companies an easy way to provide extra protection - we’re looking forward to providing South African businesses and employees tangible value on an everyday basis in an accessible, engaging, and deliverable manner.”

YuLife South Africa’s policies are underwritten by Guardrisk Life, SA’s largest life cell captive insurer and the market leader in tailored risk solutions. “We are excited to be working together with YuLife to bring cost-effective insurance solutions to customers in South Africa,” said Herman Schoeman, CEO, Guardrisk Life. “As a company rooted in innovation, partnering with such a forward-thinking company like YuLife that shares our commitment to meeting customers’ needs makes good business sense. We look forward to developing our relationship with YuLife and providing our solutions to its customers while also empowering them to have a more thorough and holistic relationship with their life insurance and protection provider.”

YuLife has achieved rapid traction in an industry traditionally lacking in innovation. The company recently expanded into the US, and now covers >600k group policyholders across small to large businesses, with over $50bn of coverage in place. YuLife has seen more than 5x growth in premiums year-on-year, and in July 2022 raised a $120M Series C led by Dai-ichi Life with participation from T. Rowe Price, bringing the company’s total funding to $206M.

About YuLife

YuLife is a tech-driven financial services provider on a mission to inspire life and turn financial products into a force for good. By harnessing the power of technology and the latest behavioural science, YuLife’s insurance model focuses on risk prevention, not just claims compensation. The company is transforming the employee benefits market by rewarding employees for healthy living, supporting mental, physical and financial well-being and helping foster healthier, happier and more motivated teams. Founded in 2016, YuLife is headquartered in London and backed by global insurers and venture capital. https://yulife.com/za/

About Guardrisk

Guardrisk is South Africa’s largest cell captive insurer. We pioneered the cell captive concept in 1993 and provide tailor-made risk financing and insurance solutions for corporates, small enterprises and municipalities. The option of a third-party insurance offering lets clients sell insurance coverage to their customers, boosting their business’ earning potential and building their brand. Essentially, a cell captive facility gives clients all the benefits of owning their own insurance company without the inherent cost and administrative implications. Cell captives provide underwriting, reinsurance, claims management, investment, actuarial and accounting functions for clients (cell owners), which keeps costs down and gives clients access to a broad base of insurance skills. Guardrisk is a subsidiary of Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Limited, one of SA’s largest insurance-based financial services groups. The company is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in South Africa and on the Namibian Stock Exchange in Namibia. 

Till next time...Aashish Thanks you Cheers!!!

Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for historical tech, new gadgets, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay Link to all social media platforms - https://t.co/gUHjo8DQ7h Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the last 10 Years!!! for reading guys!!!