Research announced today by Specsavers Corporate Eyecare reveals the disturbing fact that the majority of employers worry that some employees may be driving during the course of their work, when their eyesight is not good enough to do so.
The research aimed to discover just how seriously employers and HR professionals take the issue of the eyesight of their staff who drive during the course of their work.
Most employers class it as ‘very important’ that employees who drive during the course of their work have their eyes tested regularly.
However, the vast majority of employers do not have a policy to test the eyesight of these employees.
Of those who do have a policy to test their employees’ eyesight, only 13% do so on a regular annual basis.
Only 16% do so on a regular basis of every other year and 15% will only check employees eyesight as and when requested.
Most employers would prefer to see the onus put on the staff with over two thirds (68%) stating it should be the employee’s responsibility to ensure their eyesight is sufficient for driving during the course of their work.
This may be a risky strategy with the new corporate manslaughter regulations in place and figures estimating that up to a third of all road traffic accidents involve somebody who is at work at the time – which may account for over 20 fatalities and 250 serious injuries every week.
Laura Butler, Corporate Account Manager for Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, says: “There seems to be a discrepancy between what employers and HR professionals think should be the case and what actually happens in the workplace. Our research shows nearly all employers, believe legislation should be in place to ensure employees who drive during the course of their work have their eyes tested regularly.”
“Very few, however, have actually put this in place themselves. It is interesting that 60% of employers have had their own eyesight tested within the last 12 months but only 13% have a policy to do the same for their staff.”
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