How benefit leaders can combat digital eye strain in the workplace

Staring at a screen all day is an unavoidable hazard of a desk job. But that doesn't mean employers shouldn't address it. 

According to VSP Vision Care, employees are clocking 97 hours of screen time each week. Unsurprisingly, 68% of employees experience symptoms of digital eye strain, including blurred vision, headaches, light sensitivity, and dry and itchy eyes. 

"When you're looking at a computer or tablet, you're focusing very closely, and your muscles in your eyes are working in order to keep the images clear," says Dr. Valerie Sheety-Pilon, vice president of clinical and medical affairs at VSP. "The headaches and sore eyes come from those ocular muscles holding your eyes in place."

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However, eye strain doesn't just result in discomfort — 59% of employees say it reduces their productivity. Over half of employees report that it harms their overall quality of life, and 27% have taken time off because of eye pain. While screen breaks, adjusting screen brightness and moving the screen further away could help reduce eye strain, it's not enough, underlines Dr. Sheety-Pilon. Employers have to invest in employee eye health rather than treat it like an afterthought.

"You need to encourage regular eye exams so employees can get help managing environmental factors causing discomfort," says Dr. Sheety-Pilon. "A patient should be able to come in and get better quality lenses that potentially have blue light protection or anti-reflective coating." 

An effective vision care plan incentivizes employees to get annual check-ups and upgrade their prescriptions or eyewear when needed. Dr. Sheety-Pilon stresses that good eye care is just like preventive and primary care for the rest of the body. If employers are set on reducing healthcare costs by building a healthier workforce, then eyes can't be excluded.

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"You could identify over 270 systemic conditions that have an ocular finding," says Dr. Sheety-Pilon. "There is such a strong connection between healthcare and eye care."

This message isn't lost on benefit leaders; they just don't know how to offer better support. Nearly 90% of HR leaders feel their organization should do more to address digital eye strain, but less than 60% have pushed employees to take screen breaks, provided anti-glare screen protectors or offered more flexibility in the work day, according to VSP. 

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Dr. Sheety-Pilon advises managers to remind their teams of the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, you look away from your screen and stare 20 feet ahead for 20 seconds. If employees find themselves in a lot of discomfort, they should consider booking an eye exam. 

"Eye exams are essential to ensure that not only the vision is clear, but the ocular surface is healthy," says Dr. Sheety-Pilon. "Then we can identify clinical options that will help deliver comfort to that employee."