FEATURE/Presenteeism vs. Absenteeism - Eye Care International Launches National Survey On Effects of Aging On the Bottom Line.

Business Editors/Feature Writers

FEATURE...

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--June 24, 2000

Eye Care International, Inc. announced the launching of a national survey to measure for employers' losses in productivity resulting from the aging of their employees. Known as "Presenteeism," studies show that employers experience losses in productivity from Presenteeism as much as thirty-two times the loss experienced from Absenteeism. "While the employer perceives the workforce to be healthy on the job, a substantial number of employees - often with perfect attendance - are nonetheless `disabled' for one reason or another and working less efficiently," stated Clark A. Marcus, President and CEO of ECI, Inc. The ECI study, being the first of its kind, aims at identifying and quantifying for the employers, the extent to which the bottom line is being adversely affected by the aging process.

"A substantial cause of loss of productivity is the workplace's unaddressed increased dependency on corrective eyewear, and increasing use of computers. The `baby boomers,' the work force population most impacted by aging, age reluctantly and procrastinate in getting their eyes examined for glasses when they hit `40' (when presbyopia usually starts). With 50% of our working population over 40, and 50% of our working population using computers for extended periods, the need for annual basic eye examinations is considerable, yet unnoticed and unmeasured by employers," added Marcus. The employers' most valuable assets are their experienced employees. When productivity from that segment imperceptively decreases it adversely affects the bottom line. While we cannot stop the aging process, employers must develop some means of measuring the impact of aging on the workplace. The same is true with Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), an additional problem affecting young and old alike.

Through a basic eye examination, eye care professionals may detect not only eye problems but the early signs of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, retinal migraines, etc. These problems account for the major productivity losses from Presenteeism - healthy, always on the job, employees who nonetheless are somehow "disabled."

ECI is selecting companies for participation in the survey. Participants will be supplied with a confidential health profile of their workforce which will enhance the employers' ability to protect the bottom line and improve the general health of the workforce. The study also stresses the employers' need to monitor changing vision needs of their employees.