Jonathan Ormsby is senior supervisor, U.S. Managed Care, Transitions Optical
This text was performed as a paid partnership between Transitions Optical and Ragan Communications.
You’ve most likely been watching your laptop display screen for a minute now.When did you final blink?
It’s most likely been longer than you suppose.
Perhaps take a second now to do this. Be sure you shut your eyes all the way in which whenever you do.
Do you discover your eyes feeling strained and uncomfortable? Perhaps even a uninteresting headache?
“After we are in entrance of screens, we are likely to blink 66% lower than we’re presupposed to. Subsequently, the ocular floor is dry,” defined Dr. Angelica Cifuentes[i], a board-certified optometric doctor working towards in Miami, Florida.
Making the state of affairs even trickier, people additionally are likely to neglect to shut their eyes utterly to blink when watching a display screen. So every blink is rather less efficient.
That is usually an issue within the office, as staff who spend hours watching their laptop screens can wind up with burning, itching or watery eyes. And computer systems aren’t the one screens we encounter.
“What I clarify to sufferers is, sure, you might be working in entrance of a pc, however you might be additionally forgetting your different screens all through the day,” mentioned Dr. Cifuentes. “After we drive vehicles, there’s a display screen in our automotive. You could have your cellphone. You could have your TV. You could have your laptop. You could have your laptop computer. You could have your iPad. There are such a lot of issues.”
This will change into a major problem within the office. Greater than half of staff spend greater than six hours a day in entrance of screens throughout their workday, based on the 2025 Transitions Office Wellness Survey[ii] of 1,000 full-time U.S. workplace professionals. By the top of the day, 92% report gentle sensitivity, drained or dry eyes, complications or blurry imaginative and prescient. Almost three-quarters, 71%, say eye fatigue or gentle sensitivity impacts their efficiency, whereas 42% report shedding productiveness due to gentle sensitivity.
The results present up in a number of methods: 49% report a wrestle to focus, 42% really feel much less productive or irritated and 41% expertise workflow disruptions as a result of they should relaxation their eyes. But solely 3 in 10 staff say eye well being is often mentioned at work.
Listed below are some methods Dr. Cifuentes recommends tackling dry eye and lightweight sensitivity within the office to enhance morale, productiveness and total well-being:
- Guarantee staff have entry to a high-quality imaginative and prescient plan in order that they have entry to up to date prescription lenses, contacts and common checkups.
- Employers could make an actual distinction by creating workspaces which might be simpler on staff’ eyes. That may begin with one thing so simple as positioning laptop screens barely beneath eye degree.
- Good lighting issues, too. Workers ought to have sufficient gentle to work comfortably with out spending lengthy stretches in dim environments.
- Communications may remind staff to blink absolutely throughout display screen use.
- The 20-20-20 rule is one other simple behavior to advertise: After 20 minutes at a pc, staff ought to look 20 ft away and blink for 20 seconds.
- Permitting common display screen breaks might help staff tackle discomfort earlier than it begins to have an effect on their focus or productiveness.
Dr. Cifuentes says that Transitions® lenses may assist scale back glare and shield staff’ eyes from shiny lighting and UV rays, particularly for staff who work each inside and outdoors. She shared the story of a younger paralegal who spent 17 hours every day in entrance of a pc. Her eyes have been dry and irritated, particularly after she got here again to the workplace after strolling within the shiny Florida sunshine on her lunch breaks.
Along with recommending the 20-20-20 blinks and synthetic tears, Dr. Cifuentes additionally turned to Transitions lenses to assist the affected person handle altering gentle circumstances and enhance her visible consolation. She advised the lady: “‘Let’s put Transitions lenses on as a result of she’s going out and in of the workplace, and I’ve seen a bit little bit of that UV injury within the eyes. Let’s use Transitions lenses and apply good anti-glare in your glasses.’ She was utterly comfortable to listen to that, if she did have a problem, the problem could possibly be improved.”
This challenge may impression staff’ youngsters, who additionally love their display screen time. Entry to a high-quality imaginative and prescient care plan might help give their mother and father the peace of thoughts that their youngsters are additionally receiving high quality imaginative and prescient care.
“Sadly, these days we’re in pressure on a regular basis,” mentioned Dr. Cifuentes. “However fortunately, there are different instruments obtainable that we’ve got in our fingers that may assist our sufferers in some ways.”
Communicators have an essential function to play in serving to staff shield each their imaginative and prescient well being and office efficiency. By educating staff about the advantages of imaginative and prescient protection and inspiring preventive eye care, communicators might help staff make knowledgeable healthcare selections, maximize their advantages and help long-term productiveness and well-being.
That training could be easy however efficient. Throughout open enrollment and all year long, communicators can encourage staff to consider how imaginative and prescient advantages could assist not solely themselves but additionally their members of the family. They’ll remind staff to schedule an annual eye examination, clarify protection choices for glasses and get in touch with lenses and highlight particular advantages they could not know can be found. This sort of communication is very invaluable provided that 48% of staff say an annual overview of their imaginative and prescient advantages from their employer might assist them preserve higher eye well being at workii. Communicators may spotlight improvements similar to Transitions® GEN S™ lenses, which can be found by means of many main imaginative and prescient care plans and might help staff higher handle altering gentle circumstances all through the workday.
This text is meant for informational functions solely and isn’t an alternative choice to skilled medical recommendation, analysis or remedy. If in case you have considerations about your imaginative and prescient or eye well being, please seek the advice of your eye care skilled or healthcare supplier.
[i] Dr. Angelica Cifuentes is a paid advisor/speaker for Transitions Optical. The opinions expressed on this article are her personal.
[ii] The 2025 Transitions Office Wellness Survey was performed by Wakefield Analysis (www.wakefieldresearch.com) amongst 1,000 nationally consultant US workplace professionals, employed full-time, between August 13th and August 19th, 2025, utilizing an e mail invitation and an internet survey.
