How Workers' Eye Health Affects Their Productivity

Can the health of your eyes really affect your productivity levels? That's what some medical experts are saying.

According to a study conducted by researchers in the UK, there's a direct link between eyecare and productivity. Specsavers Corporate Eyecare analyzed data from more than 158 organizations, consisting of some 300,000 workers. Researchers surveyed the study's participants, asking them the following question: "Eyecare helps with the detection and monitoring of serious health conditions relating to the whole body. Do you believe that having an eyecare policy helps with the overall health and wellbeing of your staff?”

They discovered that 79% of workers confirmed that eyecare impacts the health of workers. Furthermore, 84% said that eyecare helps to increase their productivity. And 23% of workers said that they believe eyecare can even boost the morale of workers. All of these findings indicate that eyecare is a critical element in a healthy and productive workplace.

Unfortunately, though, only 1% of the study's respondents said these benefits meet the statutory requirements. In other works, business owners and managers are not doing enough to promote eye health among their workers. 

Of course, there's a good reason why eye health and eyecare is linked to worker productivity: it's difficult to see, let alone work on a given task, without good eye health. Workers may strain when looking at a computer strain, increasing the time it takes to read emails and articles. Furthermore, poor eye health often goes hand in hand with fatigue. When workers struggle to see due to poor eyesight, they'll grow tired more quickly; thus, leading to lower productivity levels.

So, what steps can you take to promote better eye health and eyecare in your workplace? For starters, make sure workers are allowed to take breaks on a regular basis. This is particularly important for workers in jobs that stress the eyes, such as working in front of a computer for eight or more hours a day. Allowing workers to take breaks gives their eyes a chance to reset, which can reduce strain and protect against injury.

You can further promote better eye health in the workplace by requiring workers to wear safety protection. When a worker uses a skill saw or similar power tool, for instance, he or she should wear impact-resistant eyewear to reduce the risk of injury. These are just a few easy ways to promote better eye health in the workplace. And as described in the study cited above, it could also improve workers' productivity.