Poor eye health is impacting the nation’s productivity: Specsavers

There’s a common issue plaguing workplaces across Aotearoa, causing employers across the country to send their workers to optometrists in droves – poor eye health, according to a Specsavers optometrist.

Auckland-based Specsavers optometrist Arshad Hoosen says poor eye health is affecting New Zealanders in all types of workplaces, whether they’re sitting in front of a computer, spending eight hours a day on a construction site, or carefully plating up a five-star meal.

Despite their unique workplaces, there’s one frequent issue: mistakes are being made because a significant number of Kiwis are struggling with their eyes.

Hoosen has been in the field for over a decade and says that, over that time, the number of Kiwis coming to him with workplace-related eyesight issues has swelled immensely: “There’s been a large increase of patients coming into my practice with complaints of dry eyes, not being able to focus on screens, reoccurring migraines and headaches.

“Many patients have said to me their boss had sent them for an eye test because they had been caught squinting, or they had taken time off that day because their eyes were too blurry to see their screen.”

Recent research conducted by Specsavers backs up what Hoosen is seeing in his practice, with survey results revealing one in four Kiwis had taken days off due to poor eye health, and 42 per cent of respondents saying their eyesight negatively impacts their productivity at work.

According to Stats New Zealand, productivity has fallen steadily over the last 30 years, with New Zealanders reportedly working more hours per week than other OECD member countries but producing less than 70 per cent of the work other OECD nations do.

Eye health is a major contributing factor to the decrease of productivity in the workplace, with the World Health Organisation finding the annual cost of visual impairment on workplace productivity is a staggering $411 billion globally, creating a significant economic burden throughout the world.

Ninety per cent of the Specsavers’ survey participants had visually demanding jobs that required near work, intense visual work or were using screen-based equipment daily and almost half (46 per cent) have had to redo or spend more time on a work-related task due to symptoms related to eye strain, including headaches, blurred vision, fatigue and dry or itchy eyes.

One likely cause of eye strain is the amount of screen time a person is experiencing each day, with the survey revealing that participants spend an average of seven hours in front of some kind of screen, whether it be at a desk at work or in front of a TV in the evening.

Hoosen says excessive screen use can be damaging in all sorts of ways, especially since many people hardly ever have a break from a screen in our modern world: “A lot of these symptoms relate to the uptick of people working from home and either overusing their digital devices or using them improperly.

“Devices have become a one-stop-shop for everything – whether it be a job or watching Youtube, Netflix or online shopping.”

The statistics revealed by the Specsavers survey were confronting, he says: “If you look at one stat in particular – that one in four people are taking time off work due to poor eye health – I can translate this into 25 per cent of my patients I see in a day coming to the practice with these sorts of problems, which confirms what the survey has found.”

Sixty percent of the New Zealanders surveyed believed that being prescribed glasses or contacts would increase their productivity at work, but only half have had an eye test in the last two years.

Hoosen says the research revealed New Zealanders urgently need to be addressing their eye issues before it impacts their life at work or home. “All Kiwis should be having their eyes tested every two years, even if they are not experiencing any type of symptoms.

“Regular eye tests are the best way to get in front of issues before they become a problem and impact your daily life.”

However, Hoosen has reminded New Zealanders that if they experience sudden symptoms like vision loss, floaters or pain, or in fact any change to the eyes, to see a professional immediately.

To book your next appointment, find your closest Specsavers store here: www.specsavers.co.nz/stores