1 Oct 2017
The rise and rise of
DSE
….and what this means
for small businesses
The
latest research from Specsavers Corporate Eyecare today reveals the extent of Display
Screen Equipment (DSE) use in small businesses and the related concerns
employers have regarding eyesight.
Screen time
The
research was carried out on behalf of Specsavers Corporate Eyecare by YouGov
and surveyed more than 320 employees in small businesses. It found that 84% of
employees in small businesses spend at least an hour a day using DSE for work
purposes and 72% spend at least four hours a day working with DSE. Perhaps most
astounding, however, is that almost half (49%) of employees in small businesses
spend at least seven hours a day at a digital screen – nearly their entire
working day.
Eyecare benefits
Despite
these figures, just 17% of employees in small businesses stated they receive eyecare
benefits from their employer, such as free or subsidised eye tests or glasses. This
compares to 43% in medium-sized businesses and 56% in large-scale
organisations. A significant 9% of small-business
employees did not know if they received eyecare benefits and nearly three
quarters (74%) stated they did not receive any eyecare from their employer.
Need for communication
Jim
Lythgow, director of strategic alliances at Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, said:
‘The working hours people are spending in front of screens is, of course,
likely to have increased over recent years but some employers may be surprised
by quite how much time their employees now spend using DSE. This makes it more
important than ever for employers to offer eyecare. It is a stipulation of the
Health and Safety regulations that all screen users should receive company-funded
eyecare and glasses, if required solely for DSE use. The regulations apply to
organisations of all sizes and a business employing just one person who falls
under the category of ‘screen user’ must provide that person with eyecare.’
Employer concerns
The
research went on to also survey over 230 senior HR decision makers at small
businesses in the UK. Of these, over a third (34%) said they were concerned
about employees’ eyesight as a result of their use of display screen equipment
in their working role. Linked to this, 34% of employers in small businesses were
concerned that employees spend too much time on display screen equipment in
their working role – in other words, more time than is healthy for their eyes.
Jim
Lythgow continued: ‘With the level of use of DSE in the workplace today,
employers are bound to be concerned about their employees’ eyesight.
Implementing a simple eyecare policy is not only obligatory under health and
safety legislation, it can also have much wider benefits in terms of health,
wellbeing, productivity and morale. Eyecare is one area where small businesses
can punch above their weight in terms of benefits provision as it is available
at low cost, with virtually no administration and without the need for
contracts or high membership numbers, through, for example, our eVoucher
schemes.’
For
further information on the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment)
Regulations and free downloadable communications materials visit: www.specsavers.co.uk/corporate/employers.
Specsavers Corporate Eyecare
Website
T: 0115 933 0800
Cirrus House
10 Experian Way
NG2 1EP
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
United Kingdom
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