Caring for employees' vision

We are big on the benefits of promoting wellbeing at work, as you know. Amongst the questions we get about HAVS, RSI, and other acronyms, a common issue we face is that of employers' duties to display screen users.

Display screens can be laptop monitors, iPads, TVs- even supermarket checkout equipment. Symptoms associated with prolonged screen use include sore eyes, headaches, damaged vision and tiredness. It causes big problems for employees and confusion for employers.

We'd like to point you towards a really useful site, ScreenSmart. This site not only sets out the risks associated with screen fatigue, but tells employers and employees how to tackle and reduce them. It sets out clearly techniques that can help limit the time spent in front of screen, and employers' responsibilities in providing eye tests and basic spectacles for screen work. It also demonstrates clearly what they don't fund- designer specs may look good but are NOT essential!

Where possible, we recommend businesses establish a relationship with a trusted local optician to agree favourable rates for 2 yearly eye tests for their staff. It's also sometimes possible for discounts on spectacles to be negotiated.Your staff will feel appreciated and you won't face absences due to headaches and complaints that equipment use has created serious vision problems.

I do live by our values, and so am off for an eye test myself tomorrow. If your sight matters to you, ask yourself: When was your last visit?

Get in touch with your questions, or if you'd like to talk more about the incredible impact our wellbeing at work programme can have in your business.