Why is eye health important in the workplace?
No job is worth putting your eyesight at risk. That’s why we make it easier than ever for workers to get precisely the eyecare they need to get on with the job, while also staying safe.
In jobs such as construction and manufacturing there are countless situations where your eyes can be put at risk. This includes everything from flying sparks and debris to chemical burns and blunt force trauma.
In other jobs, the risks to eye health may be less obvious. For instance, office or remote workers can experience dry, tired eyes after sitting at a screen all day. And did you know that a third of road deaths and a fifth of serious injuries involve a working driver? A lot of these types of accidents are linked to hazards such as decreased visibility and glare.
Neglecting your eye health puts you at risk of avoidable accidents and long-term sight damage. The good news, however, is that you may be entitled to free eyecare through your employer. In a wide range of working environments, including display screen equipment use in offices or working from home, driving, industrial, manufacturing and construction, your employer may be legally obliged to provide eyecare to employees. All the protection you need is available in just a few simple steps.
Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
Working with screens and other display screen equipment (DSE) (formerly visual display units or VDUs) can cause some people to experience problems such as eyestrain, eye irritation and difficulties refocusing. Under UK rules, employees that work with screens could be entitled to an eye examination and basic frames and lenses. Find out more about eye protection for office workers and other screen users here.
Construction
Construction sites are home to multiple eye health hazards, including cement dust, paint and chemical splashes, metal sparks, heat and fumes. Staying safe requires durable, high-quality eyewear. Prescription safety eyewear provides just that, without the need to fit clumsy goggles over existing spectacles. Explore how to keep your eyes safe on site
Transport and logistics
Eye deterioration happens to us all. Even the most experienced professional drivers can easily find themselves affected by poor visibility, glare, or observation failure, which can put them at a greater risk of being involved in accidents. Learn more about driving glasses options for corporate customers
Want to tell your boss where to go?
Your workplace might not know about what they need to provide to their employees, or they might not realise they can save time and money using a corporate eyecare scheme.
We make it easy for businesses to fulfil their legal obligations, and for you to get your eyes checked out at any of our stores across UK and Republic of Ireland. To get your hands on a corporate voucher, access our template and send it onto your boss/HR department to tell them how entitled you are to eyecare through work.
All your boss or HR team need to do is register or login for a corporate eyecare account. They can also download our brochure for more information about our corporate vouchers.
How to use your Vouchers
Once your employer has registered for a Specsavers Corporate Eyecare account and purchased you a voucher, redeeming your benefit is simple.
Get your Voucher
To start your corporate eyecare journey, your employer will supply you with a Voucher that can be redeemed at any Specsavers store in the UK.
Book an appointment
Once you’ve received it, simply book online or call the store to book an appointment. When you attend your eye test, remember to bring your Voucher with you to present prior to you eye test.
Benefit
Enjoy your free eye test. If you need glasses, you’ll be able to select a free pair from our £50 range too. Alternatively, you can use the £50 contribution towards a more expensive pair, and simply pay the difference.
What is Premium Club?
Premium Club is automatically built into any voucher. As part of this benefit, you are entitled to a further £20 discount off glasses from our £100 range or above. This gives you a combined contribution of £70.
Employees can also request two further Premium Club vouchers annually, to be used by members of their family. All they have to do is present their voucher at any one of the our UK stores and they are eligible for the same great discount.
What to expect from your eye appointment
Before you come in, a couple of things to remember:
- If you wear glasses: please bring your current pair to your appointment.
- If you wear contact lenses: please bring your glasses, contact lenses and, if you use them, case and solution, as you’ll need to remove your lenses for the examination.
What happens in the eye test?
- We’ll take a history from you, and discuss any concerns you have about your eyes. Your optometrist will ask about your work, general health and family history.
- We’ll carry out a variety of tests to assess different aspects of your eye health and vision.
- After the tests, your optometrist will discuss the results and offer any necessary advice. If you need glasses, this includes talking you through lens and frame options to ensure you get the protection you need. Treatment for any eye conditions are also discussed at this point, as well as possible referral to a specialist.
Try on frames at home
Our Virtual Try On app means that you can see what glasses look like on you, without having to come in store first. So if you see a style you like the look of online, whether you’re on your phone, tablet or desktop, just click the ‘virtual try on’ button and see what you think.
