REQUIRED PRESCRIPTION SAFETY GLASSES

szemcumo · September 2003

Our company requires safety glasses for certain departments. With OSHA regs we are now going to prescription safety glasses for those who need them. My question is....we want to inform ees that the company will pay for the pres. glasses..however if ee is termed or resigns within 1 year of receiving glasses the cost will be deducted from their last check. Can we do this, do you see any problem with this since the glasses are required? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Sandie

Sunny · September 2003

As far as I know, prescription safety glasses are one of the few required safety items that OSHA says the Company need not pay for (safety shoes also fall into this category.) However, many companies do pay for them or toward them. We used to pay the full cost of prescription safety glasses (one time a year) as long as the employees went to a particular optometrist and bought basic glasses. You may want to look into this, or into paying for lenses only, to control your costs. As far as employees who leave the company, you can have them sign that they must reimburse you for the cost if they work less than a certain amount of time, but - good luck getting your money. Many states will not allow these items to be deducted from final pay. You can also require the glasses, then reimburse the employees after they have completed a previously stated length of service.

Hunter1 · September 2003

Ah, where's SAFETY when we need him? I believe he would say that you can do what you plan on doing. You need not provide prescription safety glasses, so you can make the rules about payment for them as long as they're reasonable. I'd have the employee sign a statement in order to receive the reimbursement that they understand the policy, and authorize the deduction if they term.

Don D · September 2003

I wouldn't do it Sandie. The last place I worked and this one, as HR Director in addition to being in charge of safety, we have the same requirement. On the last job, we paid it all up to $140. This place, we pay it up to $125 but both required the use of a particular vendor. Same with steel toes. It's not worth the trouble and effort to try to collect it. Just hope that your policy saves you a hundred thousand in comp cost avoidance and consider it money well spent.

Balloonman · September 2003

Wow, all of you are right!!!! You DO NOT have to pay for shoes & glasses. Don, you are correct it is easier to designate a vendor and a dollar amount. Then if they want to upgrade at their own expense they can. Yes you can do the reimbursement agreement, but it may not be worth your time.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

safety · September 2003

We require safety shoes and safety glasses in our plant. At the time of hire we provide ee's with a certificate for safety shoes worth $100, useable at several vendors in our community. We also provide a vision certificate worth $100 for the purchase of safety glasses. We require that the ee go to a specific vendor for glasses as we have a national contract with them. At the time of hire each ee signs off on a statement that if they are terminated during the first three months we will deduct the paid price for safety shoes, not the glasses, from their final check. We offer safety frames from our storeroom or they can purchase them with the certificate from the vendor. We have deducted this amount from final paychecks in the past because they have agreed to this by signing the form. This has occurred on rare occasions as we have less then a 4% turnover rate.

Also, we provide a separate vision certificate to ee's at the time of hire and every year after that is worth $125 at several vendors in our area that offer vision exams, glasses, etc. This certificate is different than the safety glasses certificate in that an ee can use it for any service or item for sale at the selected places of business on the certificate. Again, the only monies we collect would be for the safety shoes as stated above.

Alex2003 · September 2003

Choosing a particular vendor, putting a limit on the reimbursement amount and the frequency (1 time/year) should take care of the issue. In my company, the total reimbursement amount was $41 (included both lenses and frame). Of course, it was nothing fancy but did the job and could be applied to a more expensive frame/lenses that still needed to be ANSI approved.

Trying to get reimbursed if one left the company would be a needless pain, in my opinion.

LindaS · September 2003

In our company we reimburse up to $50 every other year toward the purchase of perscription safety glasses. We also contract with a specific provide but employees are allowed to go anywhere to get them. If they choose to go to someone outside of the preferred vendor, they are required to bring in the receipt and we reimburse up to the $50 per the policy. If they choose to go to the preferred vendor, we get the invoice and I have the employee sign a deduction authorization allowing us to take the balance off their paychecks. This system works well and we do not require any certain length of service after the glasses are purchased.

REQUIRED PRESCRIPTION SAFETY GLASSES

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