Member Article

Eye care promotes wellbeing, productivity and presence

Employers believe that a benefit as simple and cost-effective as eye care can have positive effects on as wide-reaching issues as health and wellbeing, productivity, absenteeism, engagement, morale, recruitment and retention, according to a survey by Specsavers Corporate Eyecare.

The research, surveying 500 HR decision makers across UK companies, has revealed that aiding health and wellbeing is the top reason for offering workplace eye care.

Full results:

Why do you offer eye care? To aid health and wellbeing 42 % To meet with health and safety regulations 39 % As an employee benefit 38 % To ensure adequate eyesight for the employee’s working role 33 % To improve productivity (as it helps with migraines, tired eyes, headaches, etc) 26 % To reduce absence, as it can aid the early detection of certain illnesses and conditions 24 % It reflects well on us as an employer 23 % To increase employee engagement and loyalty 23 % To increase morale 19 % To aid recruitment and retention of staff 17 %

Understanding the added-value Jim Lythgow, director of strategic alliances at Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, said: ‘We are delighted to see that the message is getting through about the wider benefits of workplace eye care.’

While 39% of employers offer eye care to meet with health and safety regulations, 42% recognise its potential to boost health and wellbeing. An equally substantial 38% offer eye care purely as an employee benefit.

Improved productivity Over a quarter of employers surveyed stated they offer eye care to improve productivity. With UK productivity levels near the bottom of the G7 league table, according to the Office for National Statistics, this is a key topic for employers. Eye care can support productivity as it helps with more minor ailments like migraines, tired eyes, and headaches, all of which can reduce an employee’s efficiency.

Reduced absence A significant 24% of employers stated they offer eye care to reduce absence, as it can aid the early detection of certain illnesses and conditions, like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. In this way, eye care can be a core part of an absence management programme.

Good reflections For 23% of employers, the reason for offering eye care is that it reflects well on the business. Providing benefits like eye care, which support health and wellbeing, demonstrates to employees that they are valued. In turn, the business receives value from the benefits offered, when staff appreciate them. This creates a buzz among colleagues and can support recruitment and retention of staff.

Positive impact Jim Lythgow commented: ‘The research shows the wide-reaching benefits of eye care with employers believing it to have many positive impacts, like increased employee engagement, better morale, and as an aid to recruitment and retention of staff. It is very encouraging that so many employers can see the much broader advantages of eye care and we hope that others will follow by introducing an eye care policy as a cost-effective way to improve many issues across the employee base.’

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Specsavers Corporate Eyecare .