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Posted By Helen Edginton
I'm currently having a discussion with our HR department regarding payment of eyesight tests and contribution towards special corrective appliances. An individual is claiming £70.00 towards eye test, lenses and frame, (the agreed company payment). However, they have already been paid £70 in April 2003 towards eye test and glasses. HR want to pay for the eye sight test only as they are arguing the £70 is a one off payment. I don't agree.
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Helen
You are right; if a new prescription is needed for the 'special corrective appliances', the company must pay. See para 85 in L26.
Paul
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Posted By Helen Edginton
Hi Paul
Thanks for the info - don't you just love being right?!!
Helen
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Posted By Phillipe
Stand your ground on this as you are correct.
Crikey, what is it with HR people?
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Posted By DJ
Paul,
While i agree with you in principal, I just need to add a rider to your advice. The company only has to pay if the change in prescription is required for "DSE use" and not for any other reason.
Few people who have eyesight defects require corrective appliances purely for DSE use (e.g. they also need them for reading or for watching television).
Regards.
DJ
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Posted By Ron Young
As previously said Helen, you are correct but at the expense of being branded miserely, I would have thought £70 was a bit excessive. A more reasonable amount would be in the region of £55 or a lot less than that if you use a certain high street opticians corporate eyecare voucher scheme, which meets all of the requirements of the DSE Regs.
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Posted By Descarte
I do believe there is a minimum amount to pay towards glasses and tests should be free. Are these solely for DSE use or do they have to be safety glasses as well, which may account for some of the cost.
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
DJ
I did say that I was referring to 'special corrective appliances'; this phrase is applied in the DSE Regs to glasses for use specifically with computers (and other DSE, of course).
Paul
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Posted By Phillipe
Descarte,
The issue of safety glasses is different to what the post was about. Safety glasses will come under PPE following a risk assessment which has identified the need for them in the first place.
The eye test and provision of corrective spectacles is for habitual users of VDU work equipment to which employees are entitled to have paid for by their employer.
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Posted By Frank Hallett
Hi Helen
You are correct, given the very clear information provided.
If the HR Dept don't like it - tell them to look very carefully at HSWA S9 and ask them to identify where it says that DSE corrective appliances are exluded or exempt. Then tell them that the person who actually refuses the legitimate claim should brush up on the following:-
Their personal liability in Employment Law [they should know that one];
Their personal liability under HSWA S37 [remind them that this is Criminal Law]; &
Their personal liability in the event of a Civil Claim for negligence 'cos they haven't met the statutory requirement.
If that isn't enough - just make sure that you keep the evidence - loads of people read these pages!
Frank Hallett
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Posted By Helen Edginton
Many thanks to those who have replied on this forum and directly, you have all been a great help. The HR department really should know better by now!
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Posted By Jack
Come on Frank, you'll be coming out with the old 'you'll get locked up', next! I find it the nature of the job that managers (& HR) sometimes challenge advice; generally I have found a rational explanation is all that is required. After all Helen only said she was having a 'discussion'.
I try and save the heavy stuff for something a bit further up the scale than paying for 'special corrective appliances'.
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