New face heads up Eyecare Vouchers
There is a new face heading up the Eyecare Vouchers team at Accor Services. Andrew Adams joined the business in November – and already has ambitious plans in place to share Accor Services expertise with clients and support their development of effective corporate eyecare policies.
Andrew previously held the position of Corporate Account Manager at high street opticians Specsavers. Regular readers of the employee benefits press may have seen one of Andrew’s articles about the value of eyecare to employers and their workforces.
He decided to join Accor Services because of its strong standing in the corporate benefits market and ability to react quickly to customer needs. “I am delighted to be joining a brand leader in employee benefits – and a business where corporate eyecare plays a significant role,” he says.
Top of Andrew’s agenda is raising awareness of the issues around driver eyecare. Statistics show that one in three drivers on the road would fail a sight test. Companies have a duty of care to make sure they are not handing over company car keys to drivers who are a potential danger on the roads. And with the advent of the Corporate Manslaughter Bill, those who fail to take heed could find themselves held liable in the event of a fatality.
“This is a serious issue which just isn’t being addressed and my aim is to help raise awareness of best practice among companies,” says Andrew.
Helping companies streamline their VDU eyecare policies and save money is another of his priorities.
Legislation dictates that VDU users must have regular sight tests – a fact which is now well-established among companies.
Many businesses, however, simply allow their employees to reclaim the cost of a visit to the optician on expenses – a costly and time-consuming option. Opticians charges vary widely and companies have to dedicate admin time to processing claims.
Eyecare voucher schemes, such as those run by Accor Services, are a much more cost-effective and time-efficient option. Companies can simply buy vouchers at a set price and hand them over to employees to redeem at one of a nationwide network of approved opticians. “The key is choice,” says Adams. “Many people look at having their eyes tested at the opticians they have used for years and so the element of choice when selecting your eyecare provider is paramount.”
“An eyecare voucher scheme gives a guarantee of service at a set price, yet many companies are still going down the more costly and cumbersome expenses route,” says Andrew. “I will be working with clients to raise awareness of the advantages of the voucher scheme, as well as highlighting the added health benefits of encouraging employees to have regular sight tests.”
“It’s not just about complying with the legislation. The eyes can be a window into a person’s health and sight tests often reveal other underlying conditions which may have gone undetected. A good corporate eyecare policy can play an important role in managing absence and helping to keep employees fit and healthy.”
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