One-fifth of employers do not offer company-funded eye examinations to any of their staff, yet only 3% of the 270 HR professionals surveyed said none of their employees use display screen equipment (VDUs) in the course of their work.
The 1992 Health and Safety (display screen equipment) regulations (amended in 2002) stipulate that any member of staff using a VDU is entitled to a company-funded eye-test, when requested, and glasses if required for VDU use. The research, released today by Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, also finds that 81% of companies do not wholly fund eyecare, again against regulations.
Nearly two-thirds of companies leave the choice of optometrist up to the individual member of staff and either allow staff to claim back any eyecare on expenses or have no formal system in place at all. Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters (73%) do not use vouchers to administer eyecare.
This could prove a costly mistake, says Specsavers, as costs for optometrists vary hugely. More than half of HR professionals (51%) expect to pay more than £50 for an eye examination and glasses required for VDU use, while 14% expect to pay more than £100. Both the eye test and glasses for VDU use can actually be provided for less than £20, says Specsavers.
Employees value eyecare benefits, with 14% of respondents believing staff see eyecare as the most valued benefit and 47% saying employees value eyecare equally as much as, if not more than, other benefits.
Nearly half (49%) of all companies now use their intranet as a method of conveying their eyecare policy. However, 15% of companies still have no formal method for communicating their eyecare policy to their staff.
"We encourage all companies to invest a little time into exploring the options for eyecare benefits. The rewards will be seen by employees and employers alike," said Laura Butler, corporate account manager at Specsavers Corporate Eyecare.
The research was conducted by eMedia last month. It covers companies in both the private and public sector, representing more than 420,000 employees.
