INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 11 As you look into your crystal ball, do you see success in the New Year? With careful planning, many of us do.
But, even if employees share your vision, to turn that vision into reality, they need to see more than the work ahead. They need to literally see the work right in front of them.
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A recent WellPoint survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation finds that 40 percent of American office workers have trouble with their eyesight on the job - with many reporting mistakes as the result.
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While some mistakes might lead to a raised eyebrow or two - such as mismatching black and blue clothes (two in 10 admits to this) - others can be far more costly. For example, sending e-mails to the wrong people and misreading text messages and caller ID. One in 10 admits to these errors, which can derail even the best of business plans.
In fact, uncorrected vision can decrease employee performance by as much as 20 percent, according to the Vision Council of America. All told, vision disorders alone can account for more than $8 billion in lost productivity each year.
"Without a doubt, poor vision can seriously impact worker productivity and the bottom line," says Jeff Spahr, staff vice president of Vision and Voluntary Services for WellPoint. "When it comes to achieving success, making sure employees are up to the challenges of the New Year should top every employer's priority list."
How can you be sure your employees are ready for the New Year?
"Offering employees vision benefits is one way to do this," says Spahr. "Vision benefits are among the least expensive benefits available and can even be offered at no cost to the employer."
According to the Vision Council, employers stand to gain as much as $7 for each dollar spent on vision coverage.
So, while one in 10 office workers admits to guessing at food orders on the menu - or maybe exploring ways to increase the font type on their devices, it is worth noting that just as many are engaging in work behavior that could have serious business repercussions.
What's a solution? A quarter of employees surveyed agree that having their vision checked and corrected would increase their productivity at work.
The omnibus survey was conducted online among a census representative sample of 1,000 Americans ages 18+ using the field services of Opinion Research Corporation. This sample was then screened for whether or not respondents worked in an office. Interviews for this survey were completed on October 15-16, 2009, at a 95 percent confidence level, meaning if the study was replicated, results would be within 3.1 percentage points.
About WellPoint Inc.
WellPoint works to simplify the connection between Health, Care and Value. We help to improve the health of our communities, deliver better care to members, and provide greater value to our customers and shareholders. WellPoint is the nation's largest health benefits company, with more than 34 million members in its affiliated health plans. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, WellPoint serves members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.
SOURCE WellPoint, Inc.
