Claiming glasses costs back as computer screen user - optician wouldn't sign

bogstandard2

I went to the optician telling him that I get headaches after using the computer screen all day at work, and after the eye test he told me that I didn't need glasses to see, but he would recommend them for long periods of concentration as I have one good eye and one bad and my eyes aren't working well together.

I left a form with him which asked him to verify whether I needed glasses specifically for DSE work (if yes, my employer would refund the cost of the sight test and glasses) and presumed that our conversation had essentially amounted to a yes - but he ticked no - so I can't get reimbursed.

Is there any way I can challenge this? I literally have a headache above my good eye (which does all the work) at the end of every work day - nothing at the weekends. If the glasses relieve this, do I have a case to try to claim the costs back from my employer regardless?

Undervalued

bogstandard2 wrote: »

I went to the optician telling him that I get headaches after using the computer screen all day at work, and after the eye test he told me that I didn't need glasses to see, but he would recommend them for long periods of concentration as I have one good eye and one bad and my eyes aren't working well together.

I left a form with him which asked him to verify whether I needed glasses specifically for DSE work (if yes, my employer would refund the cost of the sight test and glasses) and presumed that our conversation had essentially amounted to a yes - but he ticked no - so I can't get reimbursed.

Is there any way I can challenge this? I literally have a headache above my good eye (which does all the work) at the end of every work day - nothing at the weekends. If the glasses relieve this, do I have a case to try to claim the costs back from my employer regardless?

You can ask the optician if he made a mistake. However, assuming he didn't and for some technical reason the glasses are not directly relevant for your vdu work, short of getting a different optician to say differently you are rather stuck.

p00hsticks

I can't directly answer your question regarding the cost to glasses, but my understanding was that if you are using computer screens all day your employer should be providing a free eye test for you every so often, regardless of whether you end up needing glasses or not.

However some employers will have arrangements with specific opticians so you need to check the specific arrangements with them first, rather than making an appointment with any old optician off your own bat and then trying to reclaim the cost after the event.

http://www.workingrights.co.uk/should-company-pay-eye-sight-tests.html

jamesperrett

Your employer should pay for the sight test but not for the glasses.

Guest101

Some employers do offer vouchers towards glasses (I believe the NHS scheme is national for example)

LannieDuck

Yes, my employer will reimburse sight tests, and will offer a contribution to glasses if specifically required for VDU use.

TELLIT01

It would seem that in the case of the OP the optician believes they should be wearing glasses at other times too. If the eyes "aren't working well together" the problem isn't limited to computer use.

Savvy_Sue

I think, could be wrong, that it's actually quite rare for the glasses to be needed for DSE work, and only for DSE work, which I believe is the situation where the employer has to pay.

TELLIT01

It's actually not that unusual for people to require glasses only for working on a computer screen. Both my wife and one of her friends have them for that purpose.

nedmundo

The devil is in the detail - the Optician recommended glasses for long periods of concentration, which means other tasks such as reading, driving and watching TV etc as well as as VDU. Therefore the prescription isn't VDU specific - sorry!