Eye care can have a positive impact not just on an employee’s eyesight and eye health, but can have wider benefits such as boosting morale and productivity. We recently conducted research into this area to assess the extent that HRs value this benefit and how much they believe their staff do too.
Our study asked over 500 HRs what they thought were the advantages of offering workplace eye care. A pleasing 42% cited improved health and wellbeing, due to the early detection of illnesses through an eye examination. Improved productivity was the advantage given by 37% of respondents, due to a reduction of ailments such as headaches and tired eyes. Over a third, 35%, believed improved morale is a key advantage of eye care at work.
It is great to be able to determine that employers now establish the link between eye care and more general health and wellbeing. An eye examination can not only test the eyesight and check the health of the eye, it can also play an important role in detecting serious illnesses and conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, tumours and risk of stroke. It is in this way that they can play a significant part in supporting the health and wellbeing of employees.
An eye examination can also help with more minor problems like headaches, migraine and dry or tired eyes. Whilst these conditions are not on the same scale as diabetes and heart disease, they nonetheless have an effect on wellbeing and, therefore, the productivity of employees.
There is no overall magic bullet, but it is great that something so simple and cost-effective as eye care is now recognised as playing a role in improving the wellbeing of employees and, in turn, increasing morale and productivity.
In addition to the health benefits, the major advantages of eye care were reported to be linked to cost-effectiveness, with over a third of respondents, 31%, appreciating the low cost.
Eye care is now being understood as both physically effective and cost effective, making it highly valued: 34% of employers said it is a highly-valued benefit. It is clear that the message is being understood by employers and HR professionals, the important thing now is to ensure that this message is effectively communicated to their employees as well.
Jim Lythgow – Director of Strategic Alliances, Specsavers Corporate Eyecare
