Many factors affect workplace wellness and productivity; some are so common yet often overlooked. Eye health is often seen as a personal health matter, but it goes beyond individual employees and can impact work negatively. Vision impairment and blindness significantly affect the economy worldwide due to lost productivity and unemployment, and those with vision issues have a more challenging time finding and keeping jobs. Poor vision affects how people perform at work; without the proper care, these problems will only worsen with time. Eye health should be seen as a more crucial aspect of workplace wellness and productivity, and workplaces should take proper measures to ensure their employees’ eyes and vision are in good shape.
Here’s how to leverage appropriate eye care to affect your employees and deliver a degree of workplace success.
Mitigating light glare
Exposure to too much light can significantly affect one’s vision over time. The sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause photokeratitis and cataracts, impairing vision and affecting work and health. Even when working inside an office or at home, light can reflect off surfaces and harm the eyes. For staff who need vision correction, wearing prescription glasses with anti-glare lenses can help block excessive light from entering the eye. It aids in improving visual clarity for more comfort at work, seamless vision in any conditions, and keeps the eyes protected regardless of where they work. Even workers who don’t need glasses can benefit from wearing a non-prescription pair with anti-glare lenses. You can encourage employees to wear appropriate eyewear by covering eye exams or eyewear purchases to ensure clear and comfortable vision for better wellness and productivity.
Blocking blue light
Technology is nearly inseparable from the working world; whether someone is working at an office full-time, doing remote work, or working in a hybrid setup, they’re likely looking at a screen for most of the day. While this is necessary for work, the long hours of screen time can affect vision and other aspects of wellness. Blue light from devices has been shown to affect the body’s release of melatonin—the sleep-inducing hormone.
As such, it becomes harder to fall asleep, affecting alertness and mental clarity, damaging wellness and productivity. Blue light is also linked to eye strain and fatigue, making for uncomfortable conditions for work that also affect performance. Paying for blue light glasses can help block this light to prevent eye strain and disrupted sleep patterns for better work performance and improved daily life. Companies can also schedule or encourage regular breaks to let employees step away from the screens and rest their eyes. Educating employees on good practices to avoid digital eye strain can also improve workplace productivity and personal comfort.
Preventing eye and vision issues
Vision and eye health changes are inevitable, especially with age, but that doesn’t mean problems are par for the course. Millions of Americans and people all over the world are affected by vision impairment; however, many of these cases are treatable or preventable. Your employees may not be experiencing problems now, but they may emerge without the proper care. Your staff may not know where to get help or cannot cover the costs, so considering their eye health can improve their well-being and quality of life while boosting the quality and consistency of their work. You can include regular eye exams in benefits packages, or covering the costs of these exams can allow employees to check for any eye issues or other health problems. Getting a diagnosis earlier can help prevent the development of vision issues down the line. You can also cover eyewear costs, like reading glasses for older staff, to allow for more comfort at work.
