Survey: Employees want better vision coverage, education

Companies can help increase employee satisfaction by simply offering vision coverage, according to research from Transitions Optical examining the significance of vision benefits.

The Employee Perceptions of Vision Benefits survey discovered that 98% of employees surveyed believe that including vision benefits as part of an overall health package shows that companies care about their employees’ well-being.

Nearly nine out of 10 employees (87%) said they would be more likely to stay at a company that offered high quality vision benefits, such as coverage of premium lens and frame options, according to the press release.

More than eight in 10 employees who are offered vision benefits through their employer are already choosing to enroll — a number that aligns with dental benefits and is nearing general medical coverage.

Of the employees not previously enrolled in their company’s vision plan, nearly six in 10 (59%) said they would be motivated to enroll if they thought that they could experience better vision.

Additionally, more than half of employees (53%) said they would be more likely to enroll after learning that an eye exam can provide insights into their overall health.

The survey also found that employees are looking for better eye wear options from their vision plans and they are willing to pay higher premiums to get them.

Nearly all employees (95%) also said they want their employer to contact them proactively with information on lens technologies, new eye wear innovations and other topics related to eye health — with 58% saying they want to be contacted several times per year.

The survey also revealed a need for vision plans to improve their websites with information about eye health and specific plan offerings, with 83% of employees saying they go online to access resources provided by their vision plans.

The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research.