Confusion over Eye Care Costs Companies Dearly
Businesses are unclear over the provisions of the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations. These regulations state that all employees who use visual display units (VDUs) must take eye tests and use glasses, if required, all at the company’s expense. However, a study conducted by Specsavers Corporate Eyecare shows that while 88% of employers are familiar with the law, only 30% are clear about its provisions.
This ambiguity on the part of the employers is costing them dearly, and despite the excessive expenditure, the adoption of eye care schemes is poor. Particularly noticeable is the confusion with regard to paying for glasses. While 90% believe they have to pay for eye tests for employees who work with VDUs, 20% believe they need only make a contribution towards glasses if they wish to do so, and 59% believe the company only needs to make a contribution towards glasses and not the tests.
The Regulations are quite unambiguous in this regard, and state that the employer must pay the entire cost of an eye test and basic spectacles, where needed. For those with health and safety responsibilities a NEBOSH certificate course can help your organisation achieve compliance with
The Regulations also stipulate that the company should provide single-vision glasses as varifocal or bifocal spectacles may not be suitable for VDU work but over 25% of employers believe the company should pay for varifocal or bifocal glasses for VDU use.
Close to 50% of employers believe the choice of optician lies at the discretion of their employee, which works out to be rather expensive due to varying price structures. They should know that the Regulations actually permit employers to use an optician of their choice for their employees’ eye care.
Moreover, earlier research by Specsavers had discovered that despite the fact that vouchers for eye tests and glasses are available for just £17, 84% of employers believed that the total cost was over £50, which goes to show the extent of ignorance in this regard.
