Over a third of UK workers aren't aware of their legal eye health rights, new research released today reveals.
The study, conducted by The College of Optometrists, confirms that 38% of eligible workers are not aware that they can ask their employer to pay for a sight test if they use a computer screen or electronic till at work; with this rising to over half of the under 24 age group.
Even more worryingly, the research indicates that even those that know about the laws are reluctant to assert them to their bosses. Over two thirds of workers in the UK have never asked for an employer to pay for or provide an eye examination, with a fifth of people saying that it makes them feel ‘uncomfortable’, and 15% saying that it would make them feel ‘greedy’ or ‘inappropriate’. Indeed, five percent claim that they are actively ‘afraid’ to ask their bosses for an eye test, and seven percent say that ‘their boss would say no so there’s no point in asking’.
Other reasons people say that they are reluctant to claim for sight tests include ‘being too busy to ask’ (4%), ‘not thinking they were eligible’ (14%) and thinking that ‘their health has nothing to do with their boss’ (5%).
The gender divide also appears to have become a factor in the workplace: while awareness of the laws is the same for both men and women, women are more likely to feel ‘uncomfortable’ asking for a refund, with 23% feeling awkward in comparison to only 16% of men. Men, by contrast, are more likely to feel comfortable about asserting their legal rights (48% in comparison to 38% of women).
However, despite the perceived caution around the asserting your rights, it appears that worker’s fears are unfounded. Of the people who have asked their employer for an eye examination, nearly three quarters (73%) report that the response was ‘enthusiastic and helpful’, only 5% were made to feel ‘uncomfortable’ and just 3% found that their bosses were ‘difficult’.
Dr Rob Hogan, President of The College of Optometrists, says, “While computers may not damage your eyesight, they can make existing problems more uncomfortable. This can include making it difficult to focus or concentrate or causing headaches, blurriness or tiredness. If you work at a computer, you’re entitled to ask your employer to provide an eye examination free of charge, and people shouldn’t feel ‘uncomfortable’ or ‘afraid’ about asking. If you need glasses to work at the computer, your employer is also obliged to help you towards costs*.”
The study was carried out as part of The College of Optometrist’s research into eye health care.
For further information from the College about working with computers and your eye health rights, please click
here.
Employers - find out more about DSE regulations and guidance
here.