Eye on Health: Why Employers Shouldn't Lose Sight of Vision Care Benefits

October 2, 2022

Child's vision test

Most of what we perceive in life comes through our sense of sight. Our eyes are an important part of our health; not only used to see, but to make sense of the world around us. Protecting our eyes and accessing early treatment is critical to preventing some common eye diseases from causing vision loss or blindness.

An estimated 1.5 million Canadians say they live with sight loss, and 5.5 million more have an eye disease. In a 2016 Nanos poll, nearly one million Canadians said they had missed work or school because of vision problems.

World Sight Day

As we mark World Sight Day on October 13^th, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness is focusing attention on the importance of eye care. More than a billion people around the world do not have access to the services they need to see clearly.

On this International Day of Awareness, one of the objectives is to encourage leaders to ensure eye care is accessible, inclusive and affordable. Most visual impairments are avoidable but preserving vision and eye health isn’t adequately prioritized by public or private benefits plans.

A majority of Canadians say they have vision issues, but three in ten say they don’t have extended health benefits that cover vision care. Many also don’t have a health spending or flex account with their extended benefits.

Eye Health at Work

Digital eye strain is at an all-time high as many teams continue to work from home. Employees are putting in more hours at the computer, and all that screen time is taking a toll on their eyes.

Common causes of eye strain include glare on a computer screen, poor lighting, and improper viewing distances. As a result, employees can experience dry eyes, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and headaches, which can impact productivity.

Why Employers Should Offer Better Vision Benefits

Eye care is essential to employee health and to an organization’s bottom line.

Here are 5 reasons why employers should consider offering better vision benefits:

Improves Retention: Employees want better benefits, and 87 per cent say they would be more likely to stay at a company that offered high-quality vision benefits, such as coverage of premium lens and frame options. Access to quality benefits is also a key factor job candidates consider before joining a new company.
Supports Productivity: As many teams continue to work remotely, employees are spending more time on digital devices. This means they’re dealing with digital strain, eye strain, dry eye and damage from UV light. Eye care benefits can help employees maintain good vision and continue to do their best work.
Keeps Employees Healthy: During eye exams, signs of diseases such as diabetes can be detected before patients notice other physical symptoms. Early diagnoses can prevent or reduce long-term healthcare costs and avoid productivity loss. Appropriate vision care can also prevent workplace injuries and eye strain from work activities.
Saves Money: Companies can save money by covering the partial or full cost of eye care benefits. Employees with vision loss or eye strain could be less productive or make increased claims in other areas with better coverage, such as short-term or long-term disability.
Shows Appreciation: Employees want to work for companies that care about their health and wellbeing, and not just the jobs they perform. Offering eye care benefits as part of an overall benefits program shows team members you care about their quality of life.

If you have questions about your vision benefits offerings, please contact us so we can work together to create solutions that work best for you and your organization.