Small firms are failing to meet their eye care obligations, according to Specsavers Corporate Eyecare.
Nearly two-thirds of employers with fewer than 10 members of staff do not have a formal eye care system in place. For those that do operate a policy, employees are reimbursed via expenses rather than using a voucher system.
The research also highlighted that many large firms use the practice of paying for eye tests through expenses. Only 40 per cent said that they used a voucher system to cover the cost of these examinations.
Laura Butler, Corporate Account Manager at Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, points out that eye care is both a valued employee benefit and a health and safety requirement for visual display unit users.
“Companies of all sizes should carefully research the most appropriate method of eye care provision for them. Huge savings can be made in both time and cost, with no loss of quality,” she said.
The survey also revealed that only nine per cent of companies with fewer than 100 staff regarded cost as being of “utmost importance” when selecting a supplier. However, 22 per cent of those with more than 5,000 workers agreed that it was important.
