By Peter H. Kehoe, O.D., F.A.A.O.
If you’re an employer who has taken the time to implement a quality vision care plan for your workforce, take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Nice work! You must be aware that vision care and vision wear play a key role in employee wellness and productivit
However, we know that — although they say they value vision — nearly half of employees don’t take advantage of their vision plan, with low awareness as a key culprit1 So as a way to educate employees and boost vision plan participation, have you considered talking to employees about how their vision plan can help boost wellness for their whole family? After all, parents of kids under 19 make up a third of the workforce2, 3 and kids’ eyes need special attention and protection, too, to ensure they remain healthy and help kids perform well in school.
Let’s consider some key insights and strategies you can take to encourage employees with children to take charge of their family’s eye health by enrolling in and utilizing your vision benefit.
Who Cares About Eye Care?
We already know that parents do! A recent survey from Transitions Optical revealed that nearly 80 percent of parents are enrolled in their employer’s vision plan, with seven out of 10 citing “providing eye care for their family” as a reason.
However, while nearly 70 percent of parents use their vision benefit for an eye exam, less than half have taken their child for an exam in the past year.4 That’s a real problem, especially given that approximately 10 million children in the U.S. suffer from undetected vision problems.5
When left untreated, vision problems can cause decreased performance in school or daily activities, low self-esteem, tearing of the eyes, headaches, and may even contribute to juvenile delinquency.
Many schools and pediatrician’s offices provide free vision screenings, but, unfortunately, these will identify just 5 percent of vision problems in children.6 During a true comprehensive exam, on the other hand, an eye doctor uses multiple techniques to evaluate the health of the eyes and maximize the child’s visual performance.
A comprehensive eye examination also can detect early signs of several serious systemic diseases, such as diabetes, neurological disorders, brain tumors and certain cancers. Consider that diabetes is one of the most common, chronic diseases in school-aged children.7
It also can lead to increased sensitivity to sunlight, and research shows that complications from diabetic retinopathy may be especially more rapid and severe in children developing diabetes at an early age, making early detection and treatment imperative.
Vision Wear 101
Beyond the prescription, there are many important lens options that employees should consider to help their children see better and protect their vision. Do you know what options your company vision plan includes?
Not surprising, children are more active than adults and tend to have more eye injuries, so they should be wearing impact-resistant or protective glasses or goggles. Many vision plans offer discounts on or full coverage of impact-resistant materials for kids.
UV protection is especially important for kids, too. It makes sense — given that they get three times the sun exposure compared to an adult, and their eyes are more vulnerable to cumulative UV damage. Over time, UV exposure may lead to serious eye diseases, while short-term effects can include sunburn of the eyes and eyelids. Because of this, children’s glasses should block 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays, and those who do not require corrective eyewear should still be wearing sun lenses when outdoors.
Parents shouldn’t underestimate the need for glare protection either. Glare — or bright light — can be distracting and dangerous, and can lead to symptoms such as eyestrain and fatigue. Because children spend more time in glaring conditions outdoors — and also spend a lot of time in front of TV or computer screens — they need the right eyewear to combat difficulty seeing, eyestrain, fatigue and headaches.
Lens features such as darkening in the sun or having an anti-reflective coating offer protection from glare, and can help kids see more comfortably by eliminating squinting and eye fatigue. Unfortunately, a 2010 study revealed that while nearly three out of four parents said they wear sunglasses when outside, just a little over half said they put sunglasses on their children.8 Aside from educating employees about this need, take a closer look at your vision plan options. Many vision plans fully cover or offer options like photochromics for kids, including leading brands like Transitions® lenses, which darken in the sun while blocking UV and minimizing glare.
5 Simple Steps to Educate Employees
Be sure to make room for vision (including kids’ vision) in your enrollment discussion with employees. It only takes 10 minutes to touch on these important takeaways:
- Focus on the Exam. Explain how a vision benefit covers regular, comprehensive eye exams for the entire family — and how they are instrumental in detecting vision problems, eye diseases and overall health issues.
- Talk up Eyewear. Educate on how eyewear can do more than just correct vision — and that certain options — like UV, glare and impact-protection — are especially important for kids.
- Point to Covered Options. Play up all the features offered in different tiers of your vision package. If your vision plan offers discounts on special lens options — play them up.
- Break Down the Costs. Reinforce the costs to treat medical conditions — including those affecting children, like diabetes — and explain how their vision benefit can help lower future medical expenses. Not bad, considering the low cost of their vision plan!
- Use Hands-on Education. Always leave behind resources so employees can learn more about the value of vision benefits and what the plan covers. If your plan includes a broad provider network with flexible hours, be sure to mention that, too. From the American Optometric Association, to educational programs like HealthySightWorkingForYou.org and also your vision plan provider, there are a number of free tools focused on the importance of family eye health that you can use to educate employees during annual enrollment and throughout the year.
As a parent (and grandparent) myself, I can attest that an opportunity to protect he health of these young ones is almost impossible to ignore. Taking the extra step to include kids’ eye health as part of your vision benefit discussion may help your employees see the value in utilizing their plan – which makes you the hero, and your workforce more productive, and better protected.
