Possibly one reason for such high interest could be concerns over how to maintain their vision when using devices that emit blue light, which, according to the Vision Council, is linked to “age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts” as well as “damage to the retina exposing the eye to hidden spikes in intensity.”

In addition, blue light takes a toll on sleep, leading experts to warn people not to view such screens within a certain time period prior to bedtime, lest they be subject to sleep disruptions. And of course sleep disorders can negatively affect overall health.

Proving their popularity among employees, vision benefit offerings are seeing increasing enrollment, with more than 80 percent of those who are offered a plan signing up. That’s comparable to the percentage who sign up for dental coverage, and close to that for medical coverage. And 59 percent of those who haven’t enrolled say that they would if they thought the plan would improve their vision.

Other motivators among those who haven’t yet opted in have to do with money, preventive care and productivity: 58 percent say they would enroll if they thought they could save on overall medical costs; 44 percent would after learning about the importance of eye disease prevention; and 34 percent would if they thought they could be more productive at work.

Employees are also interested in better-quality options in eyewear, and they’re willing to pay higher premiums to gain access. Eighty-three percent say they’d be more likely to enroll in — or keep using — a vision plan that fully covers optional selections like premium lenses and frames, while 80 percent say they’d be willing to pay extra per pay period if such options were fully covered and more than two thirds saying they’d be willing to pay more than $3 extra per pay period. And that’s on top of existing out-of-pocket vision coverage expenses.

And if there’s one area in which employees want both employers and the plan to reach out to them, it’s for vision care. Ninety-five percent want their employers to contact them proactively about lens technologies, eyewear innovations and other topics related to eye health, and 58 percent want to be contacted several times per year.

In addition, 93 percent say their vision plans should provide education about how certain lens options can protect their eyes, and 88 percent agree that vision plans should offer education on the health benefits provided by premium lens technologies.

Oh, and don’t forget the web: 83 percent of employees say they go online to find their vision plan’s resources, but indicate that those plans’ websites need tweaking to provide more information about eye health and specific plan offerings. In addition, 34 percent say they surf their vision plan’s website to learn more about different lens technologies and frame options.

“Today’s employees want better vision coverage — and more frequent education that goes beyond the enrollment period,” Drew Smith, director of North America channels, Transitions Optical, says in a statement. Smith adds, “This is a trend we’re seeing across all generations, and particularly among millennial employees, who are making up an increasing portion of the workforce.”