6 minute read
Eyecare and Holistic Health is Top of Mind for Employees
Eyecare is an essential element to whole-body wellness Savvy employers offer premium vision benefit options
By Jonathan Ormsby
As employees are striving to live more holistically healthy lives, they are keeping on top of their health – and that includes their eye health. With issues like blurry vision, eyestrain and headaches negatively impacting workers’ performance and productivity, it’s important for employers to offer health benefits that can positively impact overall health.
(According to: Transitions, 2023 Workplace Wellness Survey, Wakefield Research, N=500 U.S. adults, ages 18+, employed full-time or part-time, whose employers offer vision benefits, and 500 U.S. adults, ages 18+, self-employed and enrolled in individual health plans or utilizing private pay.)
With 78% of employees reporting that they are more likely to stay with an employer because of their benefits program, employers should be offering holistic benefit programs, including premium vision benefits to their employees to address these health and productivity issues. (Willis Tower Watson, 2018. www.compt.io/employee-perks-statistics),
As we know, health is not just physical, but also mental and emotional, and employees are taking care of themselves holistically as nearly all (96%) of those surveyed by Transitions say they are likely to visit a healthcare provider in the next 12 months, most likely including a primary care provider, dentist, or eyecare professional.
These findings coincide with a CVS Health® study that found more than three out of four people report the COVID-19 pandemic has led them to pay more attention to their health in general. (CVS Health®, 2021 Health Care Insights Study.)
We also found that employees (89%) are partaking in other healthy activities quite regularly, including eating healthy foods, exercising, meditating and yoga, and/or visiting a mental health professional. With these findings, we are seeing that employees have taken a greater interest in their own health, and are actively engaging in healthy habits, from taking yoga to visiting their eyecare professional for an eye exam.
Employee focus on holistic health transfers to the workplace
Employees are continuing to report issues with their eyes. According to the 2023 Transitions Workplace Wellness Survey, nearly half (49%) of employees cite eyestrain/eye fatigue as negatively impacting their productivity and performance. As the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the amount of time spent in front of computer screens and phones, 45% of employees cite digital eyestrain symptoms like headaches and 38% cite blurry vision as negative impacts on their productivity.
Offering breaks can be an effective workplace erk
What are easy but effective ways that employers can help alleviate these negative issues that plague employees? Surveyed employees would like their employers to encourage them to take breaks, even more than other “perks” such as financial assistance for fitness (39%), catered lunches with healthy food options (33%), meditation breaks (32%) and standing desks (23%). ]
This can be as simple as encouraging the 20-20-20 rule, which is taking a 20 second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away. (American Optometric Association, www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions).
Not only can employers focus on promoting breaks in their organizations, but offering premium vision benefits to their employees is another way to positively impact employee health. The eyes can offer a solid view into a person’s wholebody health – which influences employees to get their eyes examined, as 95% of them say they are likely to schedule a comprehensive eye exam in the next year if they knew overall health conditions like diabetes, heart disease or brain tumors can be pre-diagnosed.
And further, when using their vision benefits, 60% of employees report concerns about their eye health as a motivator to visit an eyecare provider, while 58% report prescription updates as a motivator and 43% say upgrading their lenses and frames motivates them.
We also found that employees are attending to the health of their children’s eyes – with whole body health maintenance as a driving factor. The survey found 62% of employees with children are very likely to take them to get a comprehensive eye exam within the next 12 months. The top reasons that influence employee desire to seek care from an eyecare provider for their children include:
• 63% say the early diagnosis of eye disease or health conditions
• 58% say dry, irritated eyes
• 55% say light sensitivity
• 54% say eyestrain from digital device usage
Facts for brokers Interest in Premium Eyewear Options is on the Rise
As employees continue to focus on holistic health and strive to attend their comprehensive eye exams, 95% of employees who wear eyeglasses and have vision benefits are willing to pay above what their insurance covers for premium lens benefits, including scratch-resistant lenses, anti-reflective or no glare coatings, photochromic lenses, UV blocking, and premium lens design including a sharper, wider field of view.
According to the 2023 Transitions Optical Workplace Wellness Survey, nearly half of employees are willing to pay above what their insurance covers for photochromic lenses, like Transitions lenses.
Not only are photochromic lenses important for employees, 60% of employees say it is extremely important to have Transitions lenses covered by their company’s vision plan versus other photochromic lens brands.
With seven out of 10 employees indicating that protecting their eye health is more important today than it was before the global pandemic—employers who offer premium vision benefits that cover both annual eye exams and eyewear options that employees both want and need can help catch the eye of employees.
The increase in employee likeliness to receive a comprehensive eye exam and their interest in seeking care for light sensitivity emphasizes the need for employers to offer premium vision benefits with premium lens options. Employees continue to hold concern for their holistic health, and their children’s holistic health, and this includes their vision.
The Transitions Optical Workplace Wellness Survey shows that employees are willing to invest in premium lens options, like Transitions lenses, which offer always-on protection (Transitions lenses block 100% UV & filter at least 26% of blueviolet light indoors & at least 86% outdoors. Tests performed on grey lenses with premium anti reflective coating. Blue violet light is between 400 and 455nm (ISO TR 20772:2018) and can be key in achieving holistic health and improve their productivity.
Jonathan Ormsby is a senior manager –U.S. Managed Care for Transitions Optical.
